Southampton City Council
Annual statistics ?Find out more about annual statistics
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Complaints upheld
88% Complaints upheld by Southampton City Council
88% of complaints we investigated were upheld.
This compares to an average of 79% in similar authorities.
7 upheld decisions
View upheld decisionsAdjusted for Southampton City Council's population, this is
2.8 upheld decisions per 100,000 residents.The average for authorities of this type is
4.6 upheld decisions per 100,000 residents.Statistics are based on a total of 8 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 Southampton City Council
100% of cases we were satisfied the Council had successfully implemented our recommendations.
This compares to an average of 100% in similar authorities.
Statistics are based on a total of 5 compliance outcomes for the period between 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024
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Satisfactory remedies provided by the Council
14% Complaints with satisfactory remedy provided by Southampton City Council
In 14% of upheld cases we found the Council had provided a satisfactory remedy before the complaint reached the Ombudsman.
This compares to an average of 13% in similar authorities.
1 satisfactory remedy decision
Statistics are based on a total of 7 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 Southampton City Council
No reports published
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: 24 001 037
Category: Adult care services
Sub Category: Other
- Remind relevant officer of their duties in contacting family members and responding officers, which are set out in the call handling manual.
Case reference: 24 000 074
Category: Adult care services
Sub Category: Assessment and care plan
- The Council has agreed to remind officers of the need to send people copies of their assessments and care and support plans, so they can make informed decisions about their care.
Case reference: 23 017 741
Category: Children's care services
Sub Category: Friends and family carers
- The Council agreed to create a comprehensive procedure note for the process the Council should follow and the level of evidence the Council should keep when dealing with Special Guardian Home Improvement Loans.
Case reference: 23 014 153
Category: Children's care services
Sub Category: Friends and family carers
- The Council has agreed to review what its private fostering policy says on parental consent to ensure it is satisfied with what the policy says.
- The Council has agreed to send us an action plan which sets out how it will avoid similar failings in future. This plan will address the delays to the initial private fostering visit and the support plan, and the Council’s failure to take safeguarding action.
Case reference: 23 006 826
Category: Housing
Sub Category: Allocations
- The Council will review its guidance and training for officers on record keeping around the analysis of noise recordings and on ensuring it has proper regard to its ASB powers when it receives complaints.
Case reference: 23 000 028
Category: Education
Sub Category: Special educational needs
- The Council has agreed to produce an action plan which sets out how the Council will ensure that delays to the delivery of children's social care support are not repeated in future.
Case reference: 22 011 043
Category: Other Categories
Sub Category: Leisure and culture
- The Council should consider its policy on banning people from allotments. It should ensure that it has a written policy. This should contain guidance on how it will inform people of the terms of any ban imposed on them, the length of the ban, the reasons for ban and provide a right of appeal. It should also ensure the policy has a procedure in place for reviewing the ban after a fixed time frame to check whether the ban should remain in place.
Case reference: 22 007 813
Category: Education
Sub Category: Special educational needs
- The Council will ensure it has a process in place for checking provision specified in an EHC plan is arranged from the start of a new or amended plan. It should ensure within this process there is a robust system that when an officer responsible for the provision leaves their position or goes on sick leave, their work is passed to another officer to progress.
Case reference: 22 006 453
Category: Adult care services
Sub Category: Transport
- Provide evidence of the additional guidance and training to staff on how to assess disabled persons’ concession applications
- Provide confirmation the Council has contacted previous applicants who were declined exemption on similar grounds to encourage them to reapply
- Provide confirmation the Council has amended the wording of the Smartcities card renewal form to reflect the amended wording of the Toll Order
Case reference: 21 012 907
Category: Housing
Sub Category: Allocations
- the Council will review its practice to make sure all decision letters about housing allocations inform the applicant of their right to appeal that decision.
- the Council will review its practice around keeping proper records of housing allocation decision letters it sends.
Last updated: 4 April 2015