The Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) has published its annual report and accounts for 2012- 2013.

In a year of unprecedented change, the focus has been to raise standards within the LGO and of the complaints system and public services.

During the past 12 months the LGO has dealt with 90,000 contacts from the public and resolved more than 10,000 complaints. Despite a 13.5 per cent budget reduction, it has continued to offer a fair and effective means of redress when local services go wrong.

This year the LGO has exceeded time targets it set to complete investigations; 55 per cent of complaints received a decision within 13 weeks, 85 per cent within 26 weeks, and all but the most complex of cases (97 per cent) were completed within 12 months. There was also a 19 per cent drop in requests for reviews of its own decisions.

The report, Raising the Standards, shows the most common areas of complaints the LGO received were:

• Education and Children: 17 per cent
• Planning and development: 14 per cent
• Adult Social Care: 12 per cent
• Benefits and Tax: 12 per cent

By sharing its expertise and the knowledge gained from resolving complaints, the LGO strived to raise standards of the wider complaints system and of public services.
Local authorities have benefited from the 61 complaints handling training courses the LGO has delivered to around 1,000 frontline council staff.

The organisation has issued Focus Reports on areas of concern such as bailiffs and adult social care, published more than 50 investigation reports where it deemed there was a wider public interest to highlight service failures and contributed evidence to a number of parliamentary select committees.

Dr Jane Martin, Local Government Ombudsman, said:

“Over the past year we have challenged ourselves to transform the way we work: with a new business model and a reduction in funding of £2 million.

“I’m pleased to say we have achieved all this while continuing to deliver a fair and effective service to the people who contact us.

“The LGO is now a lean, fit for purpose organisation. As we approach our fortieth year, we look forward to giving the public the high quality service they deserve for many more years to come.”

Article date: 15 July 2013