Decision amendments and scope

The request was partially successful.

Dear Local Government Ombudsmen,

Please tell me the following:

a) how many decision statement are changed in light of comments provided at the draft stage

b) how many decisions are overturned/amended following a review?

What prevision is there to request a change to parameters of scope?

Scope cannot be dealt with until a case is closed and a review requested. Since I believe few cases are alter at review, this would appear to be closing the stable door after the horse has gone. It is not the case that 'scope' is agreed with the case worker. Complainants are told what will be in scope.

Yours faithfully,

Brenda Prentice

Foi Officer, The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman

This is to acknowledge receipt of your email. If you are making a request for information, you should get an acknowledgement from us within the next 2-3 days with a reference number and a date by which we will respond to your request. Please note, however, that this address is only for use in relation to requests for information made under the Freedom of Information Act and subject access requests made under the Data Protection Act. If your email is in relation to a new complaint please follow this link to a complaint form<http://www.lgo.org.uk/forms/ShowForm.asp...> or call 0300 061 0614 to speak to one of our Advisers, as the FOI Officer cannot deal with your complaint.

NOTICE - This message contains information intended only for the use of the addressee named above. If you have received this message in error please advise us at once and do not make any use of the information.

Foi Officer, The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman

Dear Ms Prentice

This is to acknowledge receipt of your request below and to seek clarification on one point.

In response to your question (a) below, we do not hold this information. We do not record any change of decision from draft to final decision statement.

With regard to your question (b) below, please could you give me a time period you want this information for. Once I have a time period to cover, we will aim to respond to this request within 20 working days.

You also ask what provision there is to request a change in the parameters of the scope of an investigation. I understand from colleagues that you have already been given this information. There is nothing I can add to what you have already been told.

Yours sincerely

Hilary Pook
Information & Records Manager | DL: 0330 403 4734 |
Local Government Ombudsman's office |
www.lgo.org.uk |

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Dear Foi Officer,

'You also ask what provision there is to request a change in the parameters of the scope of an investigation. I understand from colleagues that you have already been given this information'. The information I got was, you can't....?

I have not been told how to go about asking for change. This maybe because you do not hold that information. I would have thought there must be provision somewhere in your standing orders or policies? If not please tell me where else this information may be hidden in office guidelines or something like that? If there really isn't any, who can I make representation to?

I would like question b) for the last 5 years if you have it please? Then I can see if there is a trend forming.

Thank you

Yours sincerely,

Brenda Prentice

Foi Officer, The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman

This is to acknowledge receipt of your email. If you are making a request for information, you should get an acknowledgement from us within the next 2-3 days with a reference number and a date by which we will respond to your request. Please note, however, that this address is only for use in relation to requests for information made under the Freedom of Information Act and subject access requests made under the Data Protection Act. If your email is in relation to a new complaint please follow this link to a complaint form<http://www.lgo.org.uk/forms/ShowForm.asp...> or call 0300 061 0614 to speak to one of our Advisers, as the FOI Officer cannot deal with your complaint.

NOTICE - This message contains information intended only for the use of the addressee named above. If you have received this message in error please advise us at once and do not make any use of the information.

Foi Officer, The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman

Dear Mrs Prentice

You say the information you've been given is that you cannot request a change to the scope of the investigation. That is correct. All you can do is comment on a draft decision, and/or include this point in any review request once a final decision has been made. See http://www.lgo.org.uk/information-centre....

I will see whether we can provide five years' statistics on changes to decisions following a review. We will aim to provide a response within 20 working days, that is, by 8 November. If we are unable to meet that deadline, I will contact you again to explain why.

Yours sincerely

Hilary Pook
Information & Records Manager | DL: 0330 403 4734 |
Local Government Ombudsman's office |
www.lgo.org.uk |

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Brenda Prentice left an annotation ()

Thank you Hilary,

The point is that if there is no possibility to have a say into how a complaint has been scoped down, by the time of the draft report it usually too late.

Brenda Prentice

Foi Officer, The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman

2 Attachments

Dear Ms Prentice

I attach a letter in response to your request.

Yours sincerely

Hilary Pook
Information & Records Manager | DL: 0330 403 4734 |
Local Government Ombudsman's office |
www.lgo.org.uk |

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Dear Foi Officer,

Dear Hilary,

Have I interpreted the information correctly that no changes have been made to any decision after review?

If I understand the position it is this; complainants have no capacity to influence how their compliant is scoped, even when it is changed beyond recognition of the original compliant? And no decisions are changed after a review.

Have I interpreted the information you have supplied correctly?

Yours sincerely,

Brenda Prentice

Foi Officer, The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman

This is to acknowledge receipt of your email. If you are making a request for information, you should get an acknowledgement from us within the next 2-3 days with a reference number and a date by which we will respond to your request. Please note, however, that this address is only for use in relation to requests for information made under the Freedom of Information Act and subject access requests made under the Data Protection Act. If your email is in relation to a new complaint please follow this link to a complaint form<http://www.lgo.org.uk/forms/ShowForm.asp...> or call 0300 061 0614 to speak to one of our Advisers, as the FOI Officer cannot deal with your complaint.

NOTICE - This message contains information intended only for the use of the addressee named above. If you have received this message in error please advise us at once and do not make any use of the information.

Foi Officer, The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman

Dear Ms Prentice

No, the line titled "Decision changed or amended" in the table shows the ones that have been changed (or amended) as it says.

However, this information is not about changing the scope of the investigation, but about changing the decision we reach on the complaint we have investigated.

Yours sincerely

Hilary Pook
Information & Records Manager | DL: 0330 403 4734 |
Local Government Ombudsman's office |
www.lgo.org.uk |

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