The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) has published a report entitled ‘No Second Chances: What Complaints Teach Us About End of Life Care’, highlighting common failings in end of life care. The LGSCO has also responded to the Prime Minister's announcement on adult social care reform and the Casey Commission and published an August 2026 report concerning safeguarding failings by Portsmouth City Council. This round-up outlines the key findings and recommendations from the No Second Chances report, the Ombudsman's response to the government's commitment to reforming adult social care and highlights of the August 2026 report containing an upheld decision in relation to social care.

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) has published a number of recent reports from February 2025. This round-up covers highlights of the reports containing upheld decision, and annual report and accounts, including in relation to education, social care and social housing.

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) has published a number of recent reports from April 2024. This round-up covers highlights of the reports containing upheld decisions, including in relation to housing, health, education, adult care services and planning.

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) has published a report from August 2024. This round-up covers the report containing the upheld decision in relation to the environment.

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) has published a recent report from April 2026. This round-up covers highlights of the report containing an upheld decision in relation to social housing.

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) has published a number of recent reports from March 2025. This round-up covers highlights of an upheld complaint related to social care.

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) has ruled that councils must assess individual circumstances when determining post-16 Special Educational Needs (SEN) transport provision, following three complaints against Derby City Council. The 5 June 2025 decision found that the council had failed to consider practical viability of personal transport budgets. The council agreed to review applications from April 2023-July 2024, revise its policy and pay compensation ranging from £150-£1,600 to affected families. The ruling establishes precedent requiring councils to demonstrate consideration of practical, safe and affordable transport solutions.

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) has urged councils to action its recommendations in good time. The LGSCO has noted two cases concerning Bury Metropolitan Borough Council where this did not happen. The first, where the council agreed to update its transport to education policy for young adults with Special Educational Needs however has estimated Spring 2024 as the date of completion for this. The second, where the council agreed to improve services for home educated children and whose parents want them to return to school however failed to apologise or provide compensation for missed education to a family who had complained. In both cases, Bury Metropolitan Borough Council has agreed to new recommendations to improve services along with actioning the previous ones.

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) has urged the local councils in England to take a balanced approach to people who do not follow waste disposal laws. Household waste offences take place when a person fails to comply with the local arrangements for the collection of household waste, and in doing so causes a nuisance or has a negative effect on the local area. In a new guidance document aimed at councils' environmental services departments, the LGSCO is encouraging councils to utilise the full spectrum of powers at their disposal when addressing waste disposal issues, ranging from offering advice to pursuing prosecution. The document further provides details on the range of powers available for handling waste offences, along with the Ombudsman's approach to complaints, and best practices for councils to evaluate their own services.

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LSGO) has warned that many residents may be missing the opportunity to challenge council tax decisions because councils are not always clearly signposting the statutory right of appeal to the Valuation Tribunal. The Ombudsman states that it received more than 1,600 council tax complaints last year, many of which concerned matters that should instead have been pursued through the tribunal. It has also published a good practice guide on council tax signposting, urging councils to make appeal rights and relevant time limits clear in decision letters and complaints correspondence, particularly as using a council’s complaints process does not stop the statutory appeal period from running.

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) has published a number of recent reports from May 2025. This round-up covers highlights of an upheld complaint related to education.

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) has published a number of recent reports from November 2024. This round-up covers two upheld decisions in relation to social care and social housing.