Issue - meetings

3.30pm

Report by the Monitoring Officer.

Each year, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGO) issues an Annual Review Report about each council in relation to the complaints made to the Ombudsman about that Council in the previous financial year. My report to this Committee therefore informs members about the LGO’s Annual Review Report for Oxfordshire County Council for the year 2018/19. 

The Committee is RECOMMENDED to note and comment on this report and on the Local Government Ombudsman’s Annual Review of Oxfordshire County Council for 2018/19.

Recommendation agreed.

Nick Graham summarised the report.  Although there were two more complaints found against the Council than the previous year, the number is still very low.  The Council is always learning from the process.  The Extended Leadership Team has a subgroup to draw out lessons. 

Councillor Roz Smith asked about the 17 complaints that were referred back to the Council (Agenda Page 77, paragraph 12).  Glenn Watson responded that sometimes people go to the Ombudsman before they have exhausted the Council’s procedures and the Ombudsman refers them back to the Council.  People often do this because they are eager for what they see as a more independent view.

Councillor Paul Buckley asked if more information could be supplied in the report on the complaints so that Members could see if particular processes were not going well.  Nick Graham responded that directors would detect where there is a problem in the system and apply the learning.

RESOLVED: to note the report and the Local Government Ombudsman’s Annual Review of Oxfordshire County Council for 2018/19.