What Does the Ombudsman Actually Do?
When a complaint against a local council cannot be resolved directly, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) steps in as an independent referee. Their job is to investigate whether the council acted fairly, followed proper procedures and treated you reasonably.
The ombudsman service is free to use and exists to hold public bodies accountable. It aims to provide an impartial review when you have exhausted the council's own complaints process. The ombudsman can recommend remedies such as apologies, service changes and, in some cases, financial compensation, though these outcomes are never guaranteed.
The LGSCO cannot force councils to comply with recommendations. While most councils do follow them voluntarily, largely due to reputational concerns and public accountability expectations, there is no legal requirement to do so. This is one area where the system has faced criticism.
Tell us what went wrong and find out which ombudsman or regulator can help, whether it is worth escalating, and exactly how to take your complaint further.
Try our Which Ombudsman Do I Need? free, here on this site →Why Some People Question the System
Not everyone has confidence in how ombudsman services operate. Over the years, campaign groups have raised concerns about perceived bias and inconsistent handling of complaints.
One such group, the Local Government Ombudsman Watch, was established to highlight what it saw as problems within the system. The group has argued that the ombudsman can appear too closely aligned with the councils it is meant to scrutinise, and dismissive towards complainants.
These are not isolated voices. The LGSCO's customer satisfaction surveys have historically shown significant levels of dissatisfaction among complainants. While some dissatisfaction is inevitable when people do not get the outcome they hoped for, consistently low approval ratings do raise questions about how the service is perceived by those who use it.
Critics point to several recurring issues:
- Complaints being dismissed in ways that feel inadequately explained, even though the LGSCO does provide reasoning for decisions
- Decisions that appear to favour the council's version of events
- Few avenues for challenging an ombudsman's decision, though a formal review process exists for procedural errors or new evidence
- A lack of transparency in how conclusions are reached
Your situation may be slightly different. ask a question below ↓ and our editorial team will reply with our advice.
The Other Side of the Argument
The LGSCO handles thousands of cases each year. Many complaints are resolved informally or result in findings against councils. The service does secure meaningful outcomes for many people, including compensation payments and changes to council practices.
The ombudsman publishes decision summaries and annual reports, which provide some insight into how cases are handled. These are available on the LGSCO website for anyone who wants to review them.
Another factor is that not every complaint will succeed. The ombudsman looks at whether the council followed proper procedures, not whether the complainant agrees with the decision itself. A council can make a decision you dislike without it being maladministration.
This distinction frustrates many people, but it reflects how the system is designed to work. It is also worth noting that other ombudsman services exist in the UK, such as the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, each covering different types of public body complaints.
What to Do If You Are Not Satisfied
If you disagree with the ombudsman's decision, your options are limited. The LGSCO's rulings cannot be appealed in the traditional sense. However, you can request a review if you believe there was a procedural error or if new evidence has emerged that was not previously available.
In rare cases, it may be possible to seek a judicial review through the courts, though this is expensive and will only succeed if the ombudsman acted unlawfully or irrationally. Legal advice would be essential before taking this route.
You can also contact your local MP, who may be able to raise concerns on your behalf or refer your case back to the ombudsman with additional questions.
For official information about how the ombudsman service works, including how to make a complaint, visit the LGSCO website directly. GOV.UK also provides general guidance on complaining about public services.
The ombudsman system is not perfect, and legitimate concerns about accountability and transparency remain. Whether it will work for your complaint may depend on your expectations and the specific circumstances of your case.
The LA were guilty of serious neglect and fabricating evidence in the CoP but the Social Worker was removed from the case when I brought evidence to the Courts attention. My Father died before the Court could investigate.
LGO told me to wait for the LA to carry out a independent review and only then could they investigate.
I had reams of evidence against the LA.
After the sham Independent Review, I went back to the LGO who now refused to investigate saying it had already been looked at and closed.
I advised the LGO that they told me to come back after the independent investigation by LA but they said it was too late now.
They ignored all the evidence of maladministration and neglect leading to my Fathers death.
They failed to agree the issues they would investigate;
They failed to investigate what they originally decided to look at;
They failed to push the LA for missing evidence;
They failed to disclose any of the evidence that they relied on in their decision;
They determined one issue, when the key evidence was not provided.
It appears that the LA knew that the complaint would be buried.
Litigation lawyers told me that I had to follow the published complaints procedure before they could act and not the complaints procedure has take so long the lawyers are saying im ougt of time to take legal action.
My experience tells me that the system is completely corrupt and they can basically say and do what they want to us without any accountability.
Suffered this for nearly 5 years
There was no kitchen plan and I proved it
The council lied
I was given a slight upgrade, 2 gloss doors, handles, worktop, I didn't claim for a damaged floor
Where the oven was going was a cupboard
Council argued for a year there was a plan
All the time my kitchen things were on the lounge floor, I had to pick up things to cook.
After a year I was told they would re-do the kitchen BUT take away what they had given me.
They refused to add to my kitchen
Shafted by a solicitor who pressured me to settle
He took 3/4 of my compensation
Gave it to me over 5 months
Not enough to buy the cheapest kitchen.
Now the council are holding me to ransom over a radiator.
NO faith in the government Ombudsman or Anyone
I've booked my tickets through tripmonster and since then, they have contacted me twice saying the airline has changed my tickets and in order to confirm the changes, I need to pay them more money. The total cost of the tickets have now exceeded the cost of what the airline charge directly.
I have tried contacting tripmonster on multiple occasions through phone, however, their wait time is over 2 hours and they disconnect the call after. They only deal with emails and do not answer queries except for asking to make a payment. I have contacted the airline who confirm my tickets are booked and I dont need to do anything, however, tripmonster insist I need to pay them more money.
I need help. I dont know what else to do.
Plz assist.
I re complained to the Ombudsman to say the council has failed in the last year to change the situation with a derelict property.
They gave my complaint back to Colin Oxley who referred me to a letter he sent me last year. So back to the same excuse. I said the situation is still the same and The council has not achieved anything.
They don't care they are hiding behind process and PO Box numbers and backing each other up or costing you thousands for an attempt at Justice.
I am now seeking to complain in other ways.
Ask Complaint Expert a question
Ask our editorial team a question and we will reply with our advice. Tell us as much about your situation as you can: the more detail you give, the more useful our answer can be.
You do not need to use your real name. Please do not include your full address, phone number, email address, or the names of other people. We may edit or remove identifying details for privacy and legal reasons.
Comments are moderated before publication.