The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has launched its vision for the way its work might develop and change.
Launched today, the Triennial Review sets out its vision of what the Ombudsman’s role should be in local government and adult social care accountability and redress, and what a modern and responsive Ombudsman service could look like for the next three years.
The review is part of the Ombudsman’s requirement to review its legislation every three years. It has been created following consultation with representatives from both central and local government, and representatives from the social care and education sectors.
Its widespread recommendations cover areas across its remit, from updating its jurisdiction for local government, strengthening its voice in education and adult social care, and calling for a greater concentration on improved complaints handling across the board.
Michael King, Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, said: “We are increasingly seeing new models of local government that sit outside of our jurisdiction, and people are coming to us with legitimate complaints that we can’t consider.
“We think now is the time to renew and refresh our legislation to ensure we are meeting the needs of service users and the sectors at large. The changes we propose are simple and achievable improvements to strengthen and modernise a system that works well, rather than a radical re-design. If we seize this opportunity now, I believe we can strengthen the voice of the public in every community, in every part of this country.”
