Ombudsman issues guidance for combined authorities as pace of devolution grows

The Local Government Ombudsman has issued new guidance for combined authorities on complaints handling, as devolution gathers pace.

The LGO said: “All services need to remain accountable to the people that use them. This means councils and combined authorities need to make sure service users have a clear route to redress.

“We believe that, with the creation or expansion of every combined authority, there is the opportunity, and the necessity, to create a simple, integrated complaints system that will be:

  • better for the public
  • better for local accountability and scrutiny, and                         
  • better value for money.”

The Ombudsman acknowledged that the design of complaints systems and procedures was a matter for each authority.

However, it said the principles it had set out were key benchmarks authorities would want to use, “to ensure their complaints procedures are simple, fair and encourage organisational improvement”.

The guidance, Key principles of complaint handling in a devolved setting, can be downloaded here.

Dr Jane Martin, Local Government Ombudsman, said: “People should have a seamless route for redress, and we want the new authorities to foster a ‘no wrong door’ attitude to complaints, where everyone is able to deal with a complaint regardless of whether or not that complaint was about their specific area or organisation within the combined authority.

“It is also imperative that the learning from complaints is shared throughout the new authority and used to improve future service provision.”

The LGO said combined authorities and other stakeholders had been invited to comment on the guidance. The document is also to be kept under review as the new authorities come into effect.