William Eichler 12 July 2018

Nearly 60% of investigations against councils upheld by Ombudsman

Over half of the investigations into complaints against local authorities were upheld in 2017-18, according to new figures.

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman’s annual report shows a total of 31,664 complaints and enquiries from the public over the past year.

Of the 18,882 cases it decided, 5,031 were dealt with at the assessment stage, and 4,331 through a detailed investigation.

The Ombudsman upheld 57% of detailed investigations, which is up from 53% the previous year.

It also made 730 recommendations to improve services for the wider public, almost a fifth more than the year before.

‘Our recommendations for service improvement are helping local authorities unlock the power of our investigations, to improve the lives of many people who haven’t directly complained to us,’ LGO Michael King said.

‘I welcome where councils and care providers have worked constructively with us to remedy injustices and take on board the learning from our cases.

‘Last year we put considerable effort into changing our processes to give more sophisticated information about the impact of our recommendations.

‘In future, I hope this will help councils increasingly to capitalise on the added value complaints can bring.’

SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

Senior Project Manager (Regeneration)

West Yorkshire Combined Authority
£49,359 to £56,057 per annum (pay award pending) – Grade 9
With ambitious goals ahead, we need dedicated individuals who are ready to make a real impact as part of our expanding Housing team Leeds / Hybrid
Recuriter: West Yorkshire Combined Authority

Information Governance Officer

Essex County Council
£28349.00 - £33351.00 per annum + pension
Information Governance OfficerPermanent, Full Time£28,349 to £33,351 per annumLocation
Recuriter: Essex County Council

Information Governance Officer

Essex County Council
£28349.00 - £33351.00 per annum + pension
Information Governance OfficerFixed Term, Full Time£28,349 to £33,351 per annumLocation
Recuriter: Essex County Council

HR Advisor - Pay & Policy (Career Grade)

Wakefield Council
Grade 9 - Grade 10, Career Grade, 24 hours, Permanent
Are you ready to make a difference and shape policies that foster a high performing and inclusive workplace? Wakefield, West Yorkshire
Recuriter: Wakefield Council

Leisure Support Assistant

Wakefield Council
£12,013.50 - £12,202.00, Grade 3, 18.5 hours, Permanent
Are You Ready to Make a Difference in Your Community? Wakefield, West Yorkshire
Recuriter: Wakefield Council
Linkedin Banner