A message from the Ombudsman  As we begin 2026, I want to share some highlights of our recent work and the conversations we are having with key stakeholders. There has been considerable political interest in our work recently, and I have been meeting with MPs to discuss the issues we see through our casework. I met with the Chair of the Housing, Communities and Local Government Select Committee as part of our regular engagement. The Committee has launched an inquiry into Housing Conditions in England, examining housing hazards such as damp, mould and overcrowding in social housing, the private rented sector and temporary accommodation. We submitted written evidence drawing on the complaints we receive. This month, we published a report into how Enfield Council handled repeated reports of anti-social behaviour. A resident reported persistent issues from the day he moved in, including threats and disturbances through the night. Despite video evidence and multiple reports, the council failed to act—even when he requested a formal review he was legally entitled to. Following our investigation, the council has agreed to properly review his case and improve its handling of anti-social behaviour complaints. In December, we published our Annual Report and Accounts. We have experienced our busiest year on record for casework volumes. More people than ever are turning to us for help, often during times of real crisis. I believe this reflects the trust people place in us to be impartial and provide clear answers as quickly as possible. We are working closely with the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman to better understand the underlying reasons for increasing demand across UK public sector ombudsman schemes. Despite managing increased caseloads, the quality of our decision making remains high and we remain committed to helping improve services for everybody by reporting on the learning from our casework to the local government and social care sectors we oversee. | Meet our new Assistant  We've introduced a new virtual assistant on our website to help people find information more quickly. The AI-powered tool can answer questions about our services, guide you through making a complaint, and explain what types of issues we can investigate. The assistant has been thoroughly tested for accuracy and security before launch, and will be regularly reviewed and updated. This new service is part of our ongoing work to make support more accessible and responsive for people who want to use our service. | Therapy waiting times halved for children after our investigation Waiting times for children's therapy assessments have halved at one council following our investigation—and 92% of families receiving new support report improved wellbeing. This change came after we received a complaint about long waits for occupational therapy and speech and language therapy assessments. These therapies are often included in Education, Health and Care Plans, which set out the support children and young people with additional needs are entitled to receive. We have powers to widen investigations when we believe others may be affected by the same issue. We used this power to look deeper into how the council was providing these therapies. Our investigation led the council to carry out a comprehensive review, which has driven real change for families. The number of children waiting over a year for an occupational therapy assessment has dropped from 37% to 18%. The council has introduced 15 new initiatives with health partners, including more frequent assessment clinics, telephone assessments to give families greater flexibility, and occupational therapy workshops that have received positive feedback. While our investigation found the council at fault for some children still having to wait an excessively long time for an assessment, we're pleased with the council's thorough response and will continue monitoring progress over the coming months. News you may have missed... | 
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