Children’s complaints still dominate Ombudsman casework in 2024-25, but housing has overtaken adult services Complaints about education and children’s services are still dominating the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman’s casework, but housing cases are now the second biggest area of concern for people complaining. Published today, the Ombudsman’s annual review of its local government com ...

Ombudsman reminds councils to review SEN needs before Key Stage transfers Councils need to review children’s special educational needs in the run-up to Key Stage transfers, even if they are staying at the same school, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has said. The reminder comes after the Ombudsman investigated a complaint from a Warwickshire parent that the county council had not c ...

Moors Park (Bishopsteignton) Ltd refuses to agree to Ombudsman recommendations Devon care provider, Moors Park (Bishopsteignton) Ltd, has refused to apologise to a client’s son and refund his mother and other residents, after the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman said the provider had charged them money which was not set out in their contracts. The Ombudsman initially investigated after ...

Memorandum of Understanding between the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman and the Enforcement Conduct Board Contents: Chapter index for Memorandum of Understanding between the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman and the Enforcement Conduct Board Updated: 15 May 2025 Memorandum of Understanding between the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman and the Enforcement Conduct Board ...

Child with special needs missed months of education because of council bureaucracy A Trafford child has missed months of education despite the council identifying a suitable tutor within a fortnight of them leaving mainstream school, a Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman report has revealed. The child has an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan because of their special educational needs. ...

Council to apologise to Southend mother for not considering her needs as a carer Southend council has agreed to apologise to a mother for twice failing to assess her needs as a carer despite agreeing to do so in a previous investigation by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman. In the previous complaint, the mother told the Ombudsman Southend-on-Sea City Council had not carried out a par ...

Islington woman scared she would be “left to die” due to council inaction A disabled Islington woman was left in a state of neglect after her local council took too long to decide what funding it would give her to manage her own support needs, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has reported. The woman has several long-term health conditions that make it difficult for her to complete m ...

Ombudsman investigation finds Brentwood gatekeeping homelessness applications A Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman investigation has found Brentwood council has been gatekeeping access to its homelessness services when people approach it for help. Following an investigation into a complaint, the Ombudsman has raised concerns with the way the council assessed homeless applications, includi ...

Somerset mum had to pay for children’s therapy while she waited for council funding A Somerset mother was left more than £7,000 out of pocket while she waited for the council to release funds for her children’s much-needed therapy, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has found. The mother, whose children’s extensive special educational needs mean they have Education, Health and Care (E ...

Nearly 60% of eligible Tameside children waited more than eight months for education support plan update, Ombudsman reports Tameside council is routinely taking too long to complete reviews of the support it offers to children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has found. During an investigation into a mother’s c ...