How one case led to a borough-wide policy shift.
Two women smiling at each other at a table with a orange textbox which reads ‘New Policy. More Transparency. Better outcomes.’
Following our support in a Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman investigation, Croydon Council has updated its Quality Assurance Panel policy. Residents and social workers can now escalate disagreements directly to the panel chair within 14 days.
This is how we turn frontline insights into systemic change.
Our Community Hubs exist to make social care law and rights real for communities, especially for people who face the biggest barriers to getting support. Through outreach, training, casework, and partnership working, the Croydon Hub supports residents, carers and frontline professionals, and uses what we learn to influence better practice across the system.
We’re proud to share a recent example of that influence in action. A Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman investigation into London Borough of Croydon (case reference 24 009 003), escalated with support from Access Social Care, found serious failings in assessment, care planning, charging, and panel decision-making including delays, lack of transparency, and decisions driven by cost rather than individual need.
As a result, Croydon Council was required to apologise, put things right for the family involved, retrain staff, and review its panel practices. Importantly, the Council has now updated its Quality Assurance Panel policy so that residents and social workers can escalate disagreements directly to the panel chair within 14 days and receive clearer explanations for decisions.
This change reflects issues the Croydon Hub has consistently raised through casework, training and partnership forums and it has real potential to reduce delays, improve transparency, and strengthen lawful, person-centred decision-making for people who rely on adult social care in Croydon.
“This case shows how individual experiences, when listened to and backed with the right evidence, can lead to wider system change. We worked alongside the family, supported escalation where things weren’t right, and fed the learning into wider conversations with the Council. For people in Croydon, this means clearer processes, more transparency, and a stronger chance that decisions about their care are made with them, not just about them.” - Jennine Bailey, SENIOR ADVICE COORDINATOR.