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

Director of Public Health

Royal Borough of Greenwich
Up to £131,210
The Public Health department is at the heart of the council’s business. Greenwich, London (Greater)
Recuriter: Royal Borough of Greenwich

Head of Regeneration and Growth

Plymouth City Council
£68,387 - £74,411 (MFS and relocation available, pay award pending)
This is a unique opportunity to lead our award-winning development team and directly deliver hundreds of millions of pounds of projects. Plymouth, Devon
Recuriter: Plymouth City Council

Director of Adult Social Care

Wiltshire Council
£119,390 - £127,137
Join us as the Director of Adult Social Care and make a real difference to people’s lives. Wiltshire
Recuriter: Wiltshire Council

Assistant Director Planning, Performance & Engagement

East Sussex County Council
up to £97,700
With strong local communities, unspoilt countryside and vibrant coastal towns, East Sussex offers an exceptional quality of life to many. East Sussex
Recuriter: East Sussex County Council

Director of Finance & Commerce

Lancashire County Council
Up to £114,339
You will play a critical role in driving the organisation through complex change and innovation. Lancashire
Recuriter: Lancashire County Council
Linkedin Banner