What we do
The Local Government Ombudsmen in England investigate complaints about local authorities and certain other bodies There are three Local Government Ombudsmen in England, each dealing with complaints from different parts of the country. The investigation work is done by trained investigators.
We investigate complaints about most council matters including:
- housing
- planning
- education
- social care
- housing benefit
- transport and highways
- antisocial behaviour
- council tax
If we find that the council has done something wrong, we aim to get it put right. We can investigate complaints about how the council has done something or failed to do something, but we cannot question what a council has done just because you do not agree with it.
If you have a complaint, first you must give the council concerned an opportunity to deal with it. It is best to use the council’s own complaints procedure. If you are not satisfied with the council’s response, then you can complain to us.
Our purpose is:
- to provide independent, impartial and prompt investigation and resolution of complaints of injustice caused through maladministration by local authorities and other bodies within jurisdiction
- to offer guidance intended to promote fair and effective administration in local government.
Further information on our purpose, vision and values is included in our Corporate Plan
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Independent, impartial and free
We are independent:
- we do not receive funding or any other benefit from local authorities, and we do not have to seek their approval in our work
- the Ombudsmen are appointed by the Queen, on the advice from the Secretary of State. They hold office for a fixed term of seven years. Ministers have always been scrupulous in preserving the Ombudsmen’s independence from them. Because of the way the Ombudsmen are appointed, they are wholly independent of the bodies within their jurisdiction.
We are impartial:
When we first start to investigate a complaint we do not take the side of either the complainant or the council concerned but, if we then find fault by the council, we then take the complainant’s side in trying to get a satisfactory resolution of the complaint. However, we will not act unfairly – for example by asking for unrealistic amounts of compensation or for buildings to be knocked down.
Our service is free:
If you complain to us, you do not have to pay us anything. We receive funding direct from the Government.
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Improving authorities’ administration
We aim to help local authorities improve their administration in three ways:
- by issuing guidance on good administrative practice in the form of special reports and guidance notes;
- by providing training courses for council staff who handle complaints; and
- by asking individual councils, where our complaint investigations have found faults with their procedures, to review and amend them to avoid any recurrence of the problems that affected the complainants in those particular cases.
Date Updated: 02/12/08