The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGO) plays an important role in investigating complaints about local councils in a fair and independent manner. If a complainant is unsatisfied with the outcome of their complaint after following the council's process, they can escalate it to the LGO, which does not take sides and offers a free service.
Here's a brief overview of how the Ombudsman fits into the complaints process:
| Stage | Description |
|---|---|
| Stage 1 | The council acknowledges the complaint and investigates it, responding within 10 working days. |
| Stage 2 | A Senior Officer reviews stage 1 findings and responds within 15 working days if the complaint remains unresolved. |
| LGO Involvement | Once both stages have been completed, if the issue still isn't resolved, the complaint can be taken to the LGO, which will only investigate if there are grounds to do so. |
Before contacting the LGO, it's essential to complete the entire council complaints process, as they won’t intervene until that’s done. For more details on making complaints or about the Ombudsman, you can check Broxbourne's official complaint handling process here.