Devon to review benefits calculations for nearly 300 carers following Ombudsman’s investigation Devon County Council has agreed to look into how it calculated allowances to nearly 300 families who look after children as special guardians, following an investigation by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman. During a complaint from a woman who was looking after her grandchild under a Speci ...

Ombudsman reminds councils of proper process for supporting vulnerable people at assessment meetings Councils are being reminded by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman that vulnerable people can choose who supports them through care reviews, after Suffolk County Council halted assessments for a couple’s care and support plans because of a dispute. The couple, who are deafblind, wanted ...

Monthly News August 2025 28 Aug 2025 Poorly child placed at risk by Lewisham council because of flawed homelessness policy 21 Aug 2025 Disabled North Yorkshire residents to see improvements to council’s home adaptations service 14 Aug 2025 Council wrote to 99 families about EHC Plan reviews that did not happen - Ombudsman 06 Aug 2025 London council failed to review its support for disabled childr ...

Ombudsman criticises Ealing council for leaving family in flat with faulty windows Ealing council has been criticised by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman for leaving a young homeless family in a 10th floor flat with faulty windows for nearly 18 months. The council agreed the flat was unsuitable and had disrepair issues which also included leaks, damp, mould, and exposed electrical c ...

Village cricketers forced to move because of planning error A village cricket club has been forced to find a new venue after planners at Shropshire Council failed to put in place measures to prevent balls hitting a new house when it approved planning permission, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has found. Shropshire Council has now been asked by the Ombudsman to build and maintain a ...

Ombudsman tells Suffolk County Council to improve support for children who can’t go to school Suffolk County Council needs to make improvements “as a priority” to the way it provides alternative education to children who can’t go to school, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) has warned. The LGSCO has told the council to again improve its services after the mother of a young gi ...

Parking enforcement This fact sheet is aimed primarily at people who have concerns about a penalty charge notice (PCN) that was issued by a council in relation to a parking contravention and who may be considering making a complaint to the Ombudsman. I have received a penalty charge notice relating to a parking contravention. Can the Ombudsman help me? Most councils in England operate what is kno ...

Children's support services This fact sheet is aimed primarily at parents, carers and young people who have a problem with a children’s support services and may be considering making a complaint to the Ombudsman. I am dissatisfied with the outcome of my complaint about children's support services. How can the Ombudsman help me? If you’ve made a complaint and the council has looked into it, but yo ...

Camden’s poor complaint response prompts further Ombudsman investigation London Borough of Camden failed to carry out a recommendation to apologise to a man for its poor handling of a complaint, until the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman chased it for a response. Following an earlier complaint to the Ombudsman in 2019, the council had agreed to apologise to the man and ensure staff woul ...

Cornwall Council takes more than a decade to decide village green application Cornwall Council has taken more than 11 years to determine a man’s village green application, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has found. The man first applied to the council to have a piece of land in his village considered as a village green in 2008, and therefore receive a certain amount of protection a ...