A resident of South London has been awarded £100 after experiencing significant delays from Lewisham Council regarding her complaint within the children’s statutory complaints procedure. The Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) upheld the resident’s complaint, noting that she had invested considerable time and effort to pursue the matter.
The unnamed woman, referred to as Miss X, escalated her complaint to the LGSCO, expressing frustration over the council’s sluggish response in moving her complaint to a stage three review panel. According to the statutory complaints procedure, the review panel should convene within 30 days of the request and deliver a report within five working days, followed by a council response within 15 days.
The LGSCO’s investigation indicated that had it proceeded, the findings would likely show the council at fault. After Miss X requested her complaint be advanced to stage three in July, the delayed council response prompted her to seek external review from the LGSCO.
In their conclusion, the LGSCO emphasized the distress caused to Miss X due to the extended waiting period and recommended that the council arrange the stage three panel meeting within one month. Alongside this, they instructed the council to issue an apology and compensate Miss X with £100 for the trouble caused.
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A spokesperson for Lewisham Council acknowledged their shortcomings, agreeing to the LGSCO’s ruling and expressing regret for the distress brought upon the family. They assured that lessons would be learned from this experience.
The council has reportedly agreed to proceed promptly with the necessary arrangements for the stage three panel, set to take place next week, while also addressing the matter in a way that provides an appropriate remedy.
