Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman: Standards
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the time taken for the allocation and investigation of complaints by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman on access to administrative justice.
Answered by Alison McGovern
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman is operationally independent of central government, and the Ombudsman is accountable directly to Parliament for the use of their investigatory powers.
The Department does not routinely collect performance information or make specific assessments about the Ombudsman’s handling of complaints. The Ombudsman publishes a range of performance information on their website.
The Department maintains a sponsorship relationship with the Ombudsman, through which a range of corporate and operational matters are regularly discussed. However, the consideration and handling of complaints are operational matters for the Ombudsman. Decisions relating to the Ombudsman’s staffing and use of resources are also matters for the Ombudsman.
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