From 19 April 2010, the Local Government Ombudsman will deliver a new complaints handling service for parents and pupils with concerns about schools.

From 19 April 2010, the Local Government Ombudsman will deliver a new complaints handling service for parents and pupils with concerns about schools. The first phase will involve maintained schools* in four local authority areas – Barking and Dagenham, Cambridgeshire, Medway and Sefton Councils. The current plan is to then include a further group of local authorities from September 2010, with each phase being fully tested and evaluated in partnership with the Department for Children, Schools and Families before the full service is rolled out nationally from September 2011.

The LGO already considers complaints about a wide range of education matters including concerns about the special educational needs statementing process and provision of services for those children; the way in which appeals are heard in respect of school admissions and permanent exclusions; and the provision of school transport services. But, until recently the LGO has been prevented from considering complaints about internal school matters. The Apprenticeships, Skills, Children and Learning Act 2009 extended the LGO’s jurisdiction to include such matters.

In almost all cases the complaints must first be considered at school level before the Ombudsman will get involved.

Chairman of the Commission for Local Administration and Local Government Ombudsman Tony Redmond said that in providing this new service, the Ombudsmen are seeking to provide one route for redress for those with complaints about school matters who have been unable to resolve their concerns through local resolution.

‘’We are mindful of the need to exercise discretion when investigating complaints in a proportionate manner as well as the need to reach timely, evidence-based decisions”

The LGO is an independent and impartial organisation that gathers facts and then acts to resolve justified complaints in a way that is fair to everyone involved. Their expertise in complaint handling for local government has spanned 35 years and much of this will be transferable to its expanded jurisdiction.

More details on the local authorities for inclusion in the second phase will be released in due course.

* Community, foundation or voluntary school, a community or foundation special school, a maintained nursery school (within the meaning given by section 22(9) of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 or a Pupil Referral Unit (Short Stay School).

Article date: 25 February 2010