The children’s statutory complaints procedure This fact sheet is for people who wish to make, or have already made, a complaint about a council's Children’s Service. It advises you on the way the council should deal with your complaint and when you can ask us to consider it. How will the council consider my complaint? Councils consider some complaints about Children’s Services under a special thr ...

London borough criticised for not saying sorry London Borough of Harrow has been criticised by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman for failing to properly remedy a complaint by apologising to a resident. The man complained to the Ombudsman about the council not taking enforcement action against the owner of a neighbouring property which was empty, had overgrown gardens and was in a sta ...

Introducing the new virtual assistant The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has launched a new online assistant to help people get the information they need, faster. The virtual assistant can answer questions, help people understand how to make a complaint, and explain what LGSCO can and cannot look at. It uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to trawl through information contained within th ...

Ombudsman publishes Annual Report and Accounts 2024-25 The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) has presented its Annual Report and Accounts to parliament for the period April 2024 to March 2025. For the second consecutive year, the Ombudsman saw a 15% increase in the number of new complaints registered. During 2024-25, the LGSCO dealt with 22,010 complaints and enquiries. Of the 4, ...

Social care ombudsman launches best practice guidance for handling self-funder complaints The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) has today launched best practice guidance to help adult social care providers deliver fair, transparent and accountable complaints handling – particularly for self-funding care users. The campaign encourages providers to ensure their complaints processes ...

Ombudsman issues second report after South Kesteven District Council used wrong test to consider man’s homelessness The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has taken the unusual step of issuing a further report against South Kesteven District Council for it refusing to pay a remedy to a man who asked for homelessness support. The Ombudsman found that the council failed to properly consider ...

Retention and disposal of casework records policy Contents: Chapter index for Retention and disposal of casework records policy Updated: 19 November 2025 Retention and disposal of casework records policy search Search this content Submit search Part 1 • 1. Introduction 1. Introduction Casework records are produced and maintained to enable the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman to carry ou ...

How to use 'Recite Me' Contents: Chapter index for How to use 'Recite Me' Updated: 01 January 0001 How to use 'Recite Me' search Search this content Submit search Part 1 • Recite Me Web Accessibility and Language Toolbar About Recite Me is innovative cloud-based software that lets visitors view and use our website in a way that works best for them. We’ve added the Recite Me web accessibility and ...

Memorandum of Understanding with The Housing Ombudsman Contents: Chapter index for Memorandum of Understanding with The Housing Ombudsman Updated: 01 December 2024 Memorandum of Understanding with The Housing Ombudsman search Search this content Submit search Part 1 • Introduction Purpose This Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been agreed by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGS ...

Ombudsman highlights priorities to improve public services over next three years The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has made four recommendations to Government on how the organisation could improve the public services it oversees in its flagship Triennial Review, launched today. The Review assesses the effectiveness of the Ombudsman’s service alongside the delivery of services in the ...