Sharpening the commercial edge
The case for well-managed council commercial activity is one that needs to be defended if we want a mature and sustainable local state, argues Jonathan Werran.
BCP Council agrees to check past payments to foster carers
08/06/2021 BCP Council has agreed to check whether it has paid friends and family foster carers properly over the past five years following an investigation. |
Bristol City Council apologises for ‘distress’ caused by mishandling of complaints
26/05/2021 Bristol City Council has apologised after being criticised for failing to provide evidence it had completed Ombudsman recommendations in two separate complaints. |
County to review its SEN services following ombudsman investigation
20/05/2021 Hampshire County Council has agreed to reviews its SEN services following an investigation by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman. |
Council criticised for handling of COVID-19 business support
18/05/2021 A north Yorkshire district council has defended itself after criticisms that there was a lack of transparency in the way it administered the discretionary grant scheme designed to help businesses impacted by COVID-19. |
Council apologises after mother and son left to live in tent during pandemic
23/04/2021 A mother and her teenager were forced to sleep in a tent for almost two months after Medway Council failed to house them during the pandemic, an investigation has found. |
Housing Ombudsman launches damp and mould investigation
14/04/2021 The Housing Ombudsman has launched an investigation after a review of data revealed a high rate of maladministration on cases involving damp and mould. |
Ombudsman criticises council for failing to investigate mother’s complaint
11/03/2021 Isle of Wight Council has been criticised for failing to properly investigate a mother’s complaint about the way it removed her disabled son’s personal budget. |
Council accused of neglecting man with dementia’s ‘human rights’
04/03/2021 Nottinghamshire County Council has apologised to the family of a man with dementia who was placed in a care home as a temporary measure and then left for five months. |
London council to investigate possible cancer cluster
25/02/2021 Barking and Dagenham LBC has apologised for failing to investigate a woman’s concerns about a possible cancer cluster in the borough. |
Cornwall to improve oversight of outsourced alternative education provision
18/02/2021 Cornwall Council will conduct an audit of all children unable to attend school to ensure they are receiving suitable education following an investigation by the ombudsman. |
Councils urged to check 'free must mean free' on nursery places
28/01/2021 The ombudsman has urged councils to ensure nurseries in their areas really are providing free early years places. |
Council pays mother £8,000 after failing to protect her from violent son
19/01/2021 Three young children were left without any protection from their violent older brother after Somerset County Council failed to help their family, Ombudsman finds. |
Councils warned not to adopt allocations criteria that disadvantage domestic abuse victims
14/01/2021 The ombudsman has reminded councils to consider the exceptional circumstances of people fleeing domestic abuse when assessing their housing needs. |
New guidance to help councils scrutinise services for children in care
10/12/2020 Councils have been urged to review their services for looked after children after a report highlighted variation in practice across the country. |
Council criticised after teenager misses start of school
03/12/2020 Surrey County Council has agreed to review its services after a teenager missed the start of the school year because the local authority did not tell his mother she needed to reapply for transport. |
Hampshire CC criticised for failing to meet elderly man’s needs
26/11/2020 Hampshire County Council has been criticised by the local government Ombudsman after the local authority failed to meet an elderly man’s needs when his finances ran short. |
Sheffield Council to compensate family after 'catalogue of errors' in education provision
05/11/2020 Sheffield Council has been asked to pay £20,000 in compensation after it failed to provide a suitable education for a boy with special educational needs. |
London council to improve Blue Badge assessments
15/10/2020 Harrow Council has been told to improve the way it assesses Blue Badge and Freedom Pass applications after an investigation found a number of faults with its processes. |
Sheffield council apologises for ‘numerous problems’ with tree felling scheme
15/10/2020 Sheffield City Council has issued an apology after a report from the local government Ombudsman found ‘numerous problems’ with the way it removed trees in 2016. |
Ombudsman calls for 'level playing field'
15/09/2020 ‘Weak’ social care providers are avoiding public accountability, the local government ombudsman has said. |
Council apologises for leaving disabled dad in ‘mouse-infested’ house
10/09/2020 A London council has apologised after leaving a disabled dad and his family in mouldy, mouse-infested temporary accommodation for three years. |
Housing Ombudsman names six councils with highest number of maladministration findings
07/09/2020 A new report from the housing Ombudsman has found that maladministration in the handling of complaints by landlords is the area of ‘most consistent concern’. |
London council criticised for housing man in Birmingham costing him a job
27/08/2020 Merton Council has been criticised for housing a man from London in Birmingham, forcing him to give up his second job. |
Council to amend school transport appeals policy
20/08/2020 Coventry City Council has agreed to change the way it handles appeals about free school transport following an investigation by the ombudsman. |
Ombudsman criticises council for lack of transport for SEN pupils
13/08/2020 Buckinghamshire County Council has been criticised for its lack of suitable school transport for children with special educational needs. |
Council to review its Blue Badge process after investigation
13/08/2020 A London council has agreed to review the way it assesses applications for disabled parking permits following an investigation by the ombudsman. |
Ombudsman makes 12% more service improvement recommendations
28/07/2020 Increasing systemic problems identified in residents’ complaints has led to the Local Government Ombudsman making more wider service improvement recommendations to councils than ever before. |
Mistakes on homelessness are making matters worse, says Ombudsman
15/07/2020 Problems with the way councils are meeting their housing duties are making things worse for homeless people, the Ombudsman found. |
County increases scrutiny of its special educational needs services
02/07/2020 Norfolk County Council has agreed to regular scrutiny of its services for children with special educational needs after the ombudsman found it 'failed' the same boy twice. |
Ombudsman will re-open for complaints about councils from next week
26/06/2020 The ombudsman that investigates problems with local authorities will resume accepting new complaints from next week. |
Council criticised over loss of bat habitat
25/06/2020 Warwick District Council failed to consider bat habitats when approving a new development, an ombudsman has found. |
New guidance to help councils deal with complaints during crisis
05/05/2020 Councils and care providers have been reminded to keep responding to complaints during the coronavirus pandemic. |
Council reviews bin collections after disabled man ‘blocked’ in house
20/03/2020 Trafford Council has agreed to review the way it monitors missed bin collections after the Ombudsman upheld half a dozen complaints. |
Covid-19 forces Ombudsman to suspend services
19/03/2020 The body tasked with investigating complaints against local authorities has temporarily suspended its services due to the impact of Coronavirus. |
Council ‘surprised’ by criticisms of its SEND transport policy
25/02/2020 A council has expressed surprise at a ruling by the local government Ombudsman which criticised its transport policy for adult learners with special educational needs (SEND). |
Ombudsman reminds councils of care home ‘top-up fees’ duties
12/02/2020 Councils are being reminded by the local government Ombudsman of their duties to administer ‘top-up fees’ for people contributing towards relatives’ care. |
Family ‘left in distress’ after council fails to investigate noise complaint
29/01/2020 A council in West Northamptonshire has been criticized by the Ombudsman for its handling of a noise complaint from residents living near an industrial estate. |
Council made ‘serious unsubstantiated’ allegations about asylum seeker
23/01/2020 An investigation has found Sandwell Council made ‘serious and unsubstantiated’ allegations about a vulnerable woman seeking asylum. |
Councils warned to cover foster carers’ school transport costs
17/01/2020 Councils have been reminded by the local government ombudsman that they should be providing financial support to foster parents to pay for school transport. |
Medway caves after Ombudsman rap
16/01/2020 Medway Council has finally accepted the recommendations in a Local Government Ombudsman public interest report after a two-year stand-off. |
Council apologises for ‘significant failings’ in SEND provision
14/01/2020 Richmond council has acknowledged that there were ‘significant failings’ in its provision of special educational needs and disability services after a critical Ombudsman report. |
Housing benefit errors pushing families into homelessness, ombudsman warns
09/01/2020 Families are facing the prospect of becoming homeless due to the way some councils are handling housing benefit appeals, the ombudsman has warned today. |
Council broke its own blue badge assessment policy, Ombudsman finds
24/10/2019 Sheffield CC has agreed to review its process for dealing with blue badge applications after an investigation revealed it was breaking its own policy. |
Ombudsman criticises councils for how they chased historic business rate debts
17/10/2019 Two London councils have been criticised by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman for the way they tried to recover historic business rate debts. |
Call for dedicated social care appeals
10/10/2019 Fewer than one in five councils have a dedicated appeals process for social care, according to new research. |
Nine in 10 complaints about SEND provision upheld by Ombudsman
03/10/2019 The Ombudsman is receiving more complaints about education, health and care plans (EHCP) than ever before – and the vast majority are being upheld. |
Council apologises after motorist denied right to challenge parking ticket
26/09/2019 Cherwell DC has apologised ‘unreservedly’ after an investigation revealed that motorists were being denied the right to challenge parking tickets. |
Ombudsman upholds two thirds of care complaints
19/09/2019 But despite this complaints about care have fallen and in the vast majority of cases his recommendations are carried out, council leaders say. |
Council criticised after SEN child left without education for over a year
12/09/2019 Worcestershire CC complaints policy has been criticised after a boy with special educational needs was left without appropriate education for 14 months. |
Ombudsman criticises county for failing to complete agreed remedy
04/09/2019 Staffordshire County Council has come under fire from the local government ombudsman for failing to carry out remedies agreed following an investigation. |
Council apologises for leaving family in ‘overcrowded conditions’ for 10 years
29/08/2019 Lancashire CC has apologised after a woman and her family were left living in what the LGO described as ‘significantly overcrowded conditions’ for 10 years. |
Council apologises after anxious girl misses months of school
08/08/2019 Leeds City Council left a young girl without proper education for nine months after she started refusing to go to her primary school because of anxiety, the ombudsman has found. |
Children’s services top list of complaints against councils
31/07/2019 Official complaints about children’s services and adult social care have topped an annual review of local government complaints for 2018-19. |
Ombudsman reveals ‘gaps’ in the SEN redress system
25/07/2019 An investigation has revealed gaps in the Special Educational Needs redress system which prevent it from being transparent and accountable to parents. |
Ombudsman tells councils to ‘be clear’ about home-schooling visits
18/07/2019 Councils must be clear with parents of home-schooled children whether home visits are routine or triggered by specific concerns, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has said. |
Council criticised for handling of disabled woman’s case
21/06/2019 Somerset County Council has been told to complete its assessment of a disabled woman’s needs after failing to comply with an earlier ruling by the LGO. |
Ombudsman reprimands council over support for vulnerable people
13/06/2019 Councils have been reminded of their obligations to supporting vulnerable people by the Ombudsman after Suffolk CC halted assessments for a deafblind couple’s care plans because of a dispute. |
Ombudsman welcomes move to streamline complaints
31/05/2019 The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has welcomed a decision by the trade body representing bailiffs to give up dealing with complaints from members of the public. |
Council refuses to accept ruling over treatment of homeless family
30/05/2019 Oadby and Wigston Borough Council has refused to accept an official ruling over its treatment of a homeless family facing domestic violence, according to LGO. |
Council criticised for ‘serious delays’ in completing SEND plans
23/05/2019 Hackney Council has been criticised by the ombudsman over serious delays when completing plans for children with Special Educational Needs. |
Council pays out over £40,000 for ‘mistakes’ in respite centre closure
14/05/2019 Southampton City Council has paid thousands of pounds in compensation after an Ombudsman ruled that the authority had caused ‘avoidable distress’ when it closed a respite centre. |
Ombudsman publishes guide for handling social care complaints
15/03/2019 Directors of adult social services have welcomed the publication of a good practice guide for helping adult social care providers improve complaints handling. |
Councils must ensure parking fines are issued correctly, Ombudsman says
31/01/2019 The local government Ombudsman has urged councils to ensure they are using the correct legislation to issue parking fines at country parks. |
Brokenshire announces ‘overhaul’ of housing complaints system
24/01/2019 Communities secretary James Brokenshire today announced an overhaul of what he describes as a ‘broken’ housing complaints system. |
Carers leave vulnerable woman ‘screaming in pain'
09/01/2019 A vulnerable woman in Blackpool was left with serious burns on her leg after carers left her too close to a hot radiator, the local government Ombudsman has found. |
Councils must act on care service complaints, ombudsman says
28/11/2018 Councils facing a rising tide of complaints from the public about care services must listen to them and take action, the government regulator has warned. |
Social work failings stopped parents visiting dying baby
08/11/2018 A council has apologised for the ‘distress’ of a family who were unable to spend time with their dying baby due to social work failings. |
A sign of cutting corners?
09/10/2018 With figures revealing the number of complaints about local councils are on the rise, what does this say about the performance of the sector? Neil Merrick investigates. |
Partial ban on flammable cladding ‘does not go far enough’, firefighters warn
02/10/2018 The Government has announced new measures to support homebuyers, get more homes built, improve building safety and create a 'Commonwealth Games legacy.' |
Councils often fail to explain planning decisions, LGO says
13/09/2018 Local authorities frequently fail to explain the reasons behind planning decisions, Ombudsman says as he publishes guidance for planners. |
Council apologises for ‘failing’ disabled boy’s family
30/08/2018 Doncaster council has admitted to ‘failing’ the family of a disabled boy after they waited three years for the special adaptations their home required. |
Council fined for ‘unfairly’ changing school admission arrangements
23/08/2018 Nottinghamshire County Council has been criticised for ‘unfairly’ changing its school admission arrangements and forcing parents to send siblings to separate schools. |
Councils urged to provide free education transport for young people with disabilities
06/08/2018 Councils across England should ensure their education transport policies properly support young adults with disabilities, ombudsman warns. |
Nearly 60% of investigations against councils upheld by Ombudsman
12/07/2018 Over half of the investigations into complaints against local authorities were upheld in 2017-18, according to new figures. |
Ombudsman upholds 70% of complaints about Special Guardianship Orders
17/05/2018 The local government ombudsman has revealed it has upheld 70% of complaints made about the way councils support special guardians. |
Councils warned not to cap personal care budgets
27/04/2018 Councils have been told they are not allowed to set maximum budget levels when calculating the cost of people’s care by the sector’s ombudsman. |
Councils cannot charge for first weeks of intermediate care, Ombudsman says
18/04/2018 Local authorities cannot charge people for the first six weeks of intermediate care, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has warned. |
Council criticised after homeless family spends three years in hotel room
12/04/2018 Bristol City Council have been criticised after a family, including children with disabilities, was forced to share a hotel room for more than three years. |
Ombudsman warns councils not to outsource responsibility
14/03/2018 Councils have been urged by the local government ombudsman to keep a ‘robust oversight’ of external contractors to ensure accountability is not lost. |
Ombudsman upholds 80% of complaints about special educational needs support
07/03/2018 The Ombudsman responsible for investigating concerns over local government services has revealed his office has upheld eight out of 10 complaints about Education and Health Care Plans (EHCPs). |
Council ordered to apologise after child hospitalised with sunburn
23/02/2018 A Scottish council has been ordered to apologise after a child on a school trip abroad was ‘badly sunburned’ and hospitalised. |
Ombudsman issues ‘rare’ second report criticising council
16/02/2018 A council has received a second warning after failing to comply with recommendations made by the local government Ombudsman. |
Councils urged to be clear on care home costs
11/01/2018 Councils have been reminded to give families accurate information about care home fees by the ombudsman, following a complaint against Lincolnshire County Council. |
Councils acting 'positively' on social care complaints
20/11/2017 Councils and care providers implemented more than 1,300 recommendations to put things right for people who complained to the local government ombudsman last year. |
Councils warned not to delay with providing SEN support
20/10/2017 A Sheffield schoolboy had to limit the number of GCSEs he could take because was left without the right Special Educational Needs support for 18 months, according to the Local Government Ombudsman. |
Council charges foster family for free school transport
11/10/2017 Councils are putting foster children at a disadvantage compared to their peers when it comes to school transport, ombudsman says. |
Council reviews over 500 benefit applications after ‘unacceptable’ delays
27/09/2017 Bradford council has agreed to review more than 500 benefit applications after the local government Ombudsman found delays in the authority’s appeals process. |
Council criticised after reducing care for autistic brothers without consulting mother
07/09/2017 A London council has been criticised for reducing the care and support packages of two autistic brothers without involving their mother in the decision. |
Council fined after separating husband and wife for 10 months
22/08/2017 A council has been ordered to pay out hundreds of pounds in compensation after separating a married couple for 10 months due to a lack of homecare availability. |
Council rapped for banning man from visiting relative in care home
09/08/2017 Nottinghamshire County Council failed to go through the correct procedures when it banned a man from visiting his partner’s mother in her care home, the local government ombudsman has ruled. |
Councils urged to scrutinise data on complaints
02/08/2017 The number of complaints about councils that have been investigated and upheld by the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) has increased this year, new figures have revealed. |
Vulnerable adults let down by ‘poor’ social work, ombudsman says
19/07/2017 Vulnerable adults are being let down by ‘poor’ social work practice, Ombudsman reports. |
Ombudsman warns councils to offer affordable care options
14/06/2017 The local government ombudsman has reminded councils they must offer affordable placements to families when arranging care for their relatives. |
Barnet’s homelessness services suffering ‘systemic problems’, ombudsman finds
23/03/2017 London council apologises after ombudsman finds ‘systemic’ problems with their homelessness services. |
School transport policy changes causing ‘upheaval’ for children, ombudsman reports
17/03/2017 Changes to councils’ school transport policies are causing ‘upheaval’ for an increasing number of pupils, Ombudsman warns. |
Social workers removed vulnerable teen from family ‘without warning’
09/03/2017 Social workers in Essex removed a vulnerable teen from the care of her family ‘without any warning’, ombudsman finds. |
Councils warned to ensure no gaps in care occur
02/03/2017 Parents of a disabled teenager were left with no support because a London council failed to put plans in place for when he turned 18, the Local Government Ombudsman has ruled. |
New omdudsman chief executive officer announced
22/02/2017 Nigel Ellis has been announced as the new chief executive officer for the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO). |
New ombudsman pledges to help councils repeating same mistakes
11/01/2017 Michael King has been appointed as the new Local Government Ombudsman, pledging to help councils learn from complaints about services. |
Council criticised after woman in care home left ‘malnourished’
05/01/2017 Wokingham council has been told to pay out thousands in compensation after a woman was left ‘severely malnourished’ and bored during a stay in a care home. |
This issue of Public Property examines how how flexible workspaces can lead the way in regeneration for local authorities, Why local authority intervention is key to successful urban regeneration schemes and if the Government’s challenge of embracing beauty is an opportunity for communities.
The March issue also takes a closer look at Blackburn with Darwen Council's first digital health hub to help people gain control over health and care services.
