The Committee were provided with a copy of the Local Government & Social Care

Ombudsman’s Annual Review Letter.

The Head of Internal Audit & Counter Fraud Shared Services advised that for the year ending 31 March 2022, the LG&SCO received a total of 20 complaints or enquiries about Gravesham Borough Council services (Appendix II). The majority related to Housing (12) with others relating to Planning, Revenues & Benefits, Parking.

In total, the Ombudsman:

• Gave advice for 5 contacts
• Referred 8 back to the Council to resolve through their own complaints

procedure

• Closed 5 after initial enquiries – either because they had other means of

complaining e.g. an appeal process, or were outside the timescale

• Upheld 3 complaints – one of which had been remedied satisfactorily by

the Council, but with 2 for which the Ombudsman found fault. The decision

notices for these 3 complaints are attached within Appendix III. Where the

Ombudsman has made recommendations for remedying the complaints

upheld, these have been accepted by the Council and completed within

the timescale required.

The Head of Internal Audit & Counter Fraud Shared Services assured Members that feedback regarding the complaints received was fed back to the individual departments to ensure improvements were made to the services.