Local Settlements

Dear Sir or Madam,

On about 30 June 2008 the South Oxfordshire Council took a report
to Committee stating in relation to a report to the Ombudsman had
identified that maladministration [injustice is assumed due to need
of the complainant to make a complaint to the Ombudsman, and a
failure of the Council to resolve the problem locally]:

"The Ombudsman also recommended that members be apprised of the
complaint and informed of his view that maladministration had
occurred."

Over the last six years how many times when awarding a local
settlement has the Ombudsman recommended as part of the local
settlement that members should be informed.

Please identify for each year, and by Ombudsman Office the number
of times a similar recommendation has been made in relation to a
Local Settlement, and identify for each year the Council's that
were recommended to act in this way.

Yours faithfully,

Stuart Hardwicke Carruthers

Dear Hilary Pook,

Many thanks for your reply.

Council's identify that a local settlement is a finding of
maladministration against them by the LGO. The fact that the LGO
discontinues production of a report is a good result. This does not
negate the fact that the Council have admitted to maladministration
to the LGO. I quite understand the record problem as over the last
10 years the LGO has only identified in about 40 per cent of the
130,000 (approx) cases investigated that there was not
maladministration.

Surely, there has been generic guidance issued to Council's - the
LGO's responsibility in this domain is identified in trhe CLAE's
Risk management strategy published in 2007.. (s6.6 page 5). As the
LGO has identified that they are unable to determine
maladministration in relation to Human Rights this must relate to
information retention, interpretation, etc.. Is there generic
guidance?

Yours sincerely,

Stuart Hardwicke CARRUTHERS