Barnet Council has seen a significant 47% surge in complaints over the past year, with the total number rising to 4,131 in the 2025/26 financial year. Despite the increased volume, the proportion of complaints upheld by the council has fallen to 28%, suggesting improvements in service delivery in many areas.
The Governance, Audit, Risk Management and Standards Committee (GARMS) received the annual report on corporate complaints and the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) for the period 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026. The report highlighted that while overall complaint numbers have risen, the escalation rate to the LGSCO has decreased to 5%, with Barnet's rate of upheld complaints per 100,000 residents (8.1) being lower than the London average (10.2).
Complaint Breakdown and Barnet Homes
The report provides a breakdown of Stage 1 complaints by department. The Barnet Group accounted for the largest share (39%), followed by the Customer Support Group (27%) and Street Scene (19%). The Environment department saw a significant increase in complaints, rising by 93% to 232.
However, challenges remain, particularly with Barnet Homes accounting for the largest share of Stage 1 complaints, representing 39% of the total. The report noted an increase in upheld complaints within this area, with Barnet Homes having nine upheld complaints escalated to the LGSCO, the highest number for any service area.
The increase in upheld complaints within Barnet Homes is attributed to ongoing rising demand for these services.
The LGSCO has also recognised that pressures on local authorities are causing a widening gap between what people expect from public services and what they are able to receive.
Factors Contributing to Complaint Increase
Key factors contributing to the rise in complaints include increased accessibility of the process, higher resident expectations, policy and legislative changes, increased demand for services and pressures on those services, and the growing complexity of AI-generated submissions. These AI-generated submissions are often more detailed and complex, requiring additional time and resources to assess and respond to effectively. While AI tools can help residents articulate their concerns more clearly, this adds further pressure to complaint handling services.
Complaint Resolution and Corrective Actions
The council completed 1,384 corrective actions as a result of complaints. The most common remedies were letters of apology (467 incidents), inspections (309 incidents), and staff training (220 incidents). Other actions included reviewing policies and procedures, reminding officers of correct procedures, and implementing new systems or processes. For example, following an upheld LGSCO decision for Barnet Homes regarding temporary accommodation, the council reviewed its policy to ensure compliance certificates are received and regular inspections are carried out before using a property. For a council tax complaint, further staff training was held and it was made a standing agenda item in team meetings.
Regarding response times, 90% of complaints were responded to within 10 working days of acknowledgement, meeting the council's target timescale. This performance has improved by 5% year-on-year, from 85% in 2024/25.
Addressing AI-Generated Complaints
The council's strategy for addressing AI-generated submissions involves providing guidance for officers on how to really unpick a complaint and understand what the key issues are, and make sure that they are fully addressed.
They also advise complainants using AI to be clear about the issue that you want to raise with us, so we can understand it, we can resolve it as quickly as possible.
The council does not use AI to automatically respond to complaints; all submissions are dealt with by officers.
Future Priorities
Looking ahead to 2026/27, priorities include strengthening directorate-level oversight, improving Stage 1 response quality, targeting service-specific root causes, building resilience around staff absence and workload, and providing guidance for handling AI-generated complaints.
Public reports pack 17th Sep 2026 Governance Audit Risk Management and Standards Committee
Agenda frontsheet 17th Sep 2026 Governance Audit Risk Management and Standards Committee
