Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council
Annual statistics ?Find out more about annual statistics
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Complaints upheld
100% Complaints upheld by Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council
100% of complaints we investigated were upheld.
This compares to an average of 80% in similar authorities.
4 upheld decisions
View upheld decisionsAdjusted for Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council's population, this is
2 upheld decisions per 100,000 residents.The average for authorities of this type is
4.4 upheld decisions per 100,000 residents.Statistics are based on a total of 4 investigations for the period between 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024
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Compliance with Ombudsman recommendations
100% of cases were successfully implemented by Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council
100% of cases we were satisfied the Council had successfully implemented our recommendations.
This compares to an average of 99% in similar authorities.
Statistics are based on a total of 4 compliance outcomes for the period between 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024
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Satisfactory remedies provided by the Council
25% Complaints with satisfactory remedy provided by Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council
In 25% of upheld cases we found the Council had provided a satisfactory remedy before the complaint reached the Ombudsman.
This compares to an average of 14% in similar authorities.
1 satisfactory remedy decision
Statistics are based on a total of 4 upheld decisions for the period between 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024
View all satisfactory remedy decisions
Annual letters
We write to councils each year to give a summary of the complaint statistics we record about them,
and their performance in responding to our investigations.
Reports ?Find out more about reports
In the last nine years, the Ombudsman has published the following reports against Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council
Foster carers left out of pocket when child moved schools
Gateshead council will apologise to a couple after it insisted they bear the costs of taking their disabled foster child to a special school agreed by the council, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has said.
Service improvements ?Find out more about service improvements
Since April 2018, the Council has agreed to make the following improvements to its services following an Ombudsman investigation. We list up to 10 cases below – click ‘view all’ if there are more.
Case reference: 22 016 064
Category: Education
Sub Category: Alternative provision
- The Council should send written reminders to relevant staff of the Council’s responsibilities under Section 19 of the Education Act when it is made aware a child is not attending school to ensure it considers action to put alternative provision in place without delay.
Case reference: 22 015 862
Category: Education
Sub Category: Alternative provision
- The Council has agreed to review its systems for checking special educational provision is in place when a new or substantially different EHCP is issued or there is a change in placement.
Case reference: 22 010 798
Category: Planning
Sub Category: Planning applications
- The Council will remind officers of the need to inform members of the public reporting planning consent breaches of its decision to end an investigation and why.
- The Council will act to ensure emails from those reporting planning consent breaches or making queries are responded to without delay.
Case reference: 22 000 777
Category: Children's care services
Sub Category: Other
- The Council has agreed to consider if it can take any steps to tighten up the operation of the complaints procedure particularly at stage one, to ensure the process is completed within the required timescales.
Case reference: 21 005 508
Category: Children's care services
Sub Category: Fostering
- Using this case as an example, issue reminders to all relevant staff to ensure they must appropriately communicate with foster carers and allow their voices to be heard during a LADO investigation.
Case reference: 20 000 794
Category: Adult care services
Sub Category: COVID-19
- The Council has agreed to: • identify the lessons to be learned from this complaint and the action to be taken to address them; and • provide evidence the actions have been taken.
Case reference: 19 015 893
Category: Housing
Sub Category: Allocations
- The Council agreed to ensure staff in the housing team are aware of the importance of gathering suitable evidence when applying Council policy, and not unfairly placing this burden on applicants.
Case reference: 16 019 471
Category: Education
Sub Category: School transport
- undertake a comprehensive review of its policies regarding consideration and provision of free home to school transport to looked after children where contracted placements with independent fostering providers are in place;
- clarify what its expectations are with the independent fostering agency with regard to whether the cost of home to school transport is met by the agency out of the total fee it pays to the agency rather than passed on to the foster carers to pay out of their element of the fee. Ensure this is clear in future contracts/tendering details;
Last updated: 4 April 2015