Wiltshire Council
Annual statistics ?Find out more about annual statistics
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Complaints upheld
62% Complaints upheld by Wiltshire Council
62% of complaints we investigated were upheld.
This compares to an average of 79% in similar authorities.
16 upheld decisions
View upheld decisionsAdjusted for Wiltshire Council's population, this is
3.1 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 26 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 Wiltshire 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 13 compliance outcomes for the period between 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024
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Satisfactory remedies provided by the Council
6% Complaints with satisfactory remedy provided by Wiltshire Council
In 6% 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 16 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 Wiltshire Council
Councils cannot cap personal budgets under Care Act, Ombudsman warns
Councils cannot set maximum budget levels when calculating the cost of people’s care, 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: 23 020 022
Category: Housing
Sub Category: Homelessness
- The Council has agreed it will issue a reminder to relevant staff that ‘reason to believe’ is a low threshold and, if they need to make enquiries about vulnerability, this will usually mean that threshold is met.
Case reference: 23 016 626
Category: Transport and highways
Sub Category: Parking and other penalties
- The Council agreed to provide advice to relevant officers about the decision on this complaint and its implication for future similar cases.
Case reference: 23 016 356
Category: Education
Sub Category: Special educational needs
- The Council will produce an action plan for how it can better monitor, at the earliest opportunity, failings in both delivery of Education, Health and Care Plans and alternative provision. This should include a review of the faults identified in this case.
Case reference: 23 014 340
Category: Education
Sub Category: Special educational needs
- The Council will remind relevant officers and managers of the Council's statutory duties under Section 42 of the Children and Families Act 2014. This will help to ensure that appropriate special needs provision set out in Section F of Education, Health and Care plans is delivered and that officers remember provision is non-delegable and owed personally to the child.
- The Council will remind relevant officers and managers of the Council's statutory duties under Section 19 of the Education Act 1996 related to delivering alternative education provision. This will help to ensure that appropriate alternative education is organised for those affected as soon as possible.
- The Council will consider reviewing its policies and procedures to ensure it retains oversight and control for its Section 19 duties under the Education Act 1996. This will help to ensure the Council itself has full and proper awareness of what education is being delivered to those who should be receiving alternative education provision.
Case reference: 23 011 871
Category: Planning
Sub Category: Enforcement
- The Council will remind all enforcement officers to record details of informal action they take on cases so there is a clear record of what has happened.
Case reference: 23 008 255
Category: Benefits and tax
Sub Category: Local welfare payments
- The Council agreed to ensure it has procedures and guidance in place for officers for: i) choosing firms to provide removal quotes; ii) assessing and deciding which quote to accept; andiii) deciding when to make payments of quotes.
Case reference: 23 008 741
Category: Education
Sub Category: Special educational needs
- The Council has agreed to provide evidence to show the plans it has in place to improve the process for seeking additional time and/or resources for EOTAS [education other than at school] students sitting exams.
- The Council will provide evidence of plans it has in place to improve the process of securing examination centres for EOTAS [education other than at school] students.
Case reference: 23 004 915
Category: Education
Sub Category: Special educational needs
- The Council has agreed to provide training or guidance to staff responsible for dealing with complaints to ensure that where fault has caused injustice, the Council considers what would be a suitable remedy, in line with the Ombudsman’s Guidance on Remedies.
- The Council has agreed to ensure the Council keeps oversight of actions agreed as remedies to complaints until completed.
Case reference: 23 004 319
Category: Education
Sub Category: Special educational needs
- Consider what went wrong in this complaint and look at what measures the Council can put in place to ensure that EHC plans are issued within the statutory timescales following an annual review. The Council should report back to the Ombudsman with its findings and any improvements to its processes it decides to make.
Case reference: 23 001 187
Category: Planning
Sub Category: Planning applications
- By training or other means, share the learning from this complaint with planning officers to ensure they consider all relevant aspects of a planning application and the material considerations raised by an application.
Last updated: 4 April 2015