Council criticised for failure to provide suitable education to boy with SEN – Local Government Lawyer

Posted December 13th, 2017 in local government, news, ombudsmen, special educational needs by sally

‘The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has criticised Essex County Council for failing to provide suitable education to a boy with special educational needs (SEN) for two terms after he stopped attending his special school.’

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Local Government Lawyer, December 2017

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Ombudsman called in after death of 12th immigration detainee – The Guardian

Posted December 13th, 2017 in death in custody, detention, immigration, news, ombudsmen by sally

‘An investigation has been launched after the death of a 12th immigration detainee this year.’

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The Guardian, 12th December 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com

“I made him aware he is very lucky” – Nearly Legal

Posted December 11th, 2017 in homelessness, housing, local government, news, ombudsmen, reports, statutory duty by sally

‘A Local Government Ombudsman Report on the actions of Maidstone Borough Council towards a homeless household makes for depressing reading. Both for the actions (and inactions) of the Council and for what it lays bare about the attitude to the homeless.’

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Nearly Legal, 10th December 2017

Source: nearlylegal.co.uk

Ombudsman tells council to pay compensation over forcible eviction by landlord – Local Government Lawyer

Posted November 29th, 2017 in compensation, homelessness, landlord & tenant, local government, news, ombudsmen by sally

‘Maidstone Borough Council should pay compensation to a homeless family of £4,170 after it accepted their forcible eviction at short notice from temporary accommodation, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has said.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 29th November 2017

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Court rejects call by council for pensions set-off from officer convicted of fraud – Local Government Lawyer

‘The High Court has rejected a London borough’s bid to set off the pension benefits of a former senior finance officer who defrauded the council.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 24th November 2017

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Ombudsman upholds third complaint against council over support for boy with SEN – Local Government Lawyer

Posted September 15th, 2017 in compensation, complaints, local government, news, ombudsmen, special educational needs by tracey

‘The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has criticised a London borough over repeated failures in relation to a boy with special educational needs, in a case where at one stage a council decision-making may have acted illegally when it withdrew support.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 14th September 2017

Source: localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Council agrees to pay grandmother four years of backdated foster care payments – Local Government Lawyer

Posted September 15th, 2017 in fostering, local government, news, ombudsmen, remuneration by tracey

‘The Royal Borough of Greenwich has agreed to pay a grandmother four years of backdated foster carer payments, following an investigation by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman. The LGO said the case should serve as a reminder to councils of their duties towards friends and family foster carers.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 14th September 2017

Source: localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Ombudsman slams lack of oversight of outsourced waste collection services – Local Government Lawyer

Posted August 23rd, 2017 in complaints, contracting out, local government, news, ombudsmen, reports, waste by sally

‘Insufficient oversight of external contractors is one of the main issues behind a rising number of complaints about waste collection, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGO) has said.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 23rd August 2017

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Rotherham abuse: Whistleblower investigation ‘examined’ – BBC News

‘The handling of an investigation into the woman who first revealed the child sexual abuse scandal in Rotherham is to be examined, the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire programme has learned.’

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BBC News, 23rd August 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk

UK considers internet ombudsman to deal with abuse complaints – The Guardian

Posted August 22nd, 2017 in complaints, hate crime, internet, news, ombudsmen by sally

‘Ministers in the UK are considering creating an internet ombudsman to deal with complaints about hate crimes and are pressing ahead with proposals for a levy on social media companies to help pay for the policing of online offences.’

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The Guardian, 22nd August 2017

Source: www.theguardian.com

Financial ombudsman gearing up for more complaints ahead of PPI deadline – OUT-LAW.com

Posted August 21st, 2017 in complaints, financial regulation, insurance, news, ombudsmen, time limits by sally

‘The Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) is anticipating a “significant increase in demand” for its services in the run-up to the August 2019 deadline for complaints about potentially mis-sold payment protection insurance (PPI)’

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OUT-LAW.com, 17th August 2017

Source: www.out-law.com

‘The Ombudsman ordered Lloyds to repay us £47,500 – and then changed its mind’ – Daily Telegraph

Posted July 27th, 2017 in banking, compensation, conveyancing, fraud, news, ombudsmen by tracey

‘A couple who were told by the Financial Ombudsman they would be repaid more than £47,000 stolen in a conveyancing scam have now been told, more than a year later, that they will not be getting their money back.’

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Daily Telegraph, 27th July 2017

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Council to pay out £12k over failings to family of severely autistic boy – Local Government Lawyer

Posted July 25th, 2017 in autism, children, costs, local government, news, ombudsmen by sally

‘A county council has agreed to pay out £12,000 and meet the legal costs of the family of a boy with severe autism, after the local authority failed to provide the right accommodation for him.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 25th July 2017

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Expert witness wins apology and payment from Legal Aid Agency – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted July 18th, 2017 in complaints, expert witnesses, fees, legal aid, news, ombudsmen, reports by tracey

‘The Legal Aid Agency has been told to directly apologise and pay £10,000 to an expert witness in immigration cases for causing him distress, inconvenience and financial loss by excessively auditing his bills.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 17th July 2017

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Council agrees £10k-plus payout after grandmother left without respite – Local Government Lawyer

‘A London borough has agreed to pay out more than £10,000 after an investigation by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman into how a grandmother was left without respite for two years.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 13th July 2017

Source: localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Court awards aggravated damages against Ombudsman over case handling – Local Government Lawyer

‘Aggravated damages have been awarded against the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman over its treatment of an applicant.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 11th July 2017

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Sikh couple in legal action after adoption agency tells them not to apply – Local Government Lawyer

Posted June 28th, 2017 in adoption, equality, local government, news, ombudsmen, race discrimination by sally

‘A British couple of Sikh Indian heritage are to bring legal action after they were told by a council-run adoption agency not to apply to become adoptive parents because only white babies were available.’

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Local Government Lawyer, 27th June 2017

Source: www.localgovernmentlawyer.co.uk

Complaints about pension products on the rise following freedoms, says ombudsman – OUT-LAW.com

Posted June 15th, 2017 in complaints, news, ombudsmen, pensions, reports by sally

‘Consumer complaints about self-invested and small self-administered pension products increased by a third last year, in the aftermath of more flexibility around pension savings, according to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS).’

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OUT-LAW.com, 14th June 2017

Source: www.out-law.com

Rise of the car hire cowboy: Ombudsman sees 73pc increase in driver grievances – Daily Telegraph

Posted June 13th, 2017 in complaints, consumer credit, financial regulation, news, ombudsmen, reports by sally

‘Car hire purchase deals are now among most complained about policies in Britain, Ombudsman figures show.’

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Daily Telegraph, 12th June 2017

Source: www.telegraph.co.uk

Payday loan complaints see sharp rise despite new rules – BBC News

‘Complaints about payday loans have risen sharply for the second consecutive year despite strict new regulations limiting interest charges.’

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BBC News, 13th June 2017

Source: www.bbc.co.uk