Foreword

We have the power to publish, after consultation, guidance about good administrative practice for local government. We have done so since 1993 and used it as a benchmark for the standards we expect when we investigate complaints about councils.

Six core principles sit at the heart of this document and they explain what we mean by good administration. When the national focus is on the pressures on local government, and on a sector struggling to cope, these principles remain just as valid. Our investigations frequently shine a light on the importance of getting the basics right, and on the impact for people’s lives when this goes wrong.

Poor administration might, for example, mean a family left in the dark about what a council is doing to consider their reports of anti-social behaviour because no one has replied to their requests. It might mean a parent is left unclear why a decision to refuse free school transport has been made because the letter from the council doesn’t give clear reasons. It could be a family uncertain about the care their relative received because of a lack of records covering a critical time.  Each failure is relatively simple and cost effective to put right.

The principles set out here are adopted by Ombudsman schemes across the UK, and are widely recognised as best practice. They are very similar to those used by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman (PHSO). This means we can take a common approach as we work together to jointly investigate concerns that involve health and local government organisations. The principles are consistent with and sit alongside our Complaint Handling Code.

These principles are rooted in our casework findings, drawing on our extensive body of knowledge about good and bad practice, built over many years of experience. They are a broad framework, not a checklist to be rigidly applied. They are a compass, not a map. They set out in plain language what we expect to see from sound administration. We can, where necessary, refer to the principles in our decisions, explaining why we consider a council’s actions have fallen short and are therefore fault.

The principles take on board learning from good administration during the COVID-19 pandemic. In spring 2020 we issued guidance on how councils needed to still ensure good administration during crisis working through the pandemic and aftermath. Local government often provides an essential function during national, or more local crises, or when problems occur such as serious failure in council IT systems. So, we have incorporated lessons from that time into this simple, single document. 

These principles provide clarity for both complainants and councils. We hope that they will foster a shared understanding of what we expect from public service providers, and help explain the questions we may ask in deciding whether fault has occurred.

Ultimately, these principles will help ensure good administrative practice continues to remain at the heart of local government decision-making, guiding the governance and delivery of local services.

Amerdeep Somal

Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman
Chair of the Commission for Local Administration in England