Birmingham City Council
Annual statistics ?Find out more about annual statistics
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Complaints upheld
87% Complaints upheld by Birmingham City Council
87% of complaints we investigated were upheld.
This compares to an average of 80% in similar authorities.
115 upheld decisions
View upheld decisionsAdjusted for Birmingham City Council's population, this is
9.9 upheld decisions per 100,000 residents.The average for authorities of this type is
4.4 upheld decisions per 100,000 residents.Statistics are based on a total of 132 investigations for the period between 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024
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Compliance with Ombudsman recommendations
99% of cases were successfully implemented by Birmingham City Council
99% of cases we were satisfied the Council had successfully implemented our recommendations.
This compares to an average of 99% in similar authorities.
Statistics are based on a total of 107 compliance outcomes for the period between 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024
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Satisfactory remedies provided by the Council
8% Complaints with satisfactory remedy provided by Birmingham City Council
In 8% of upheld cases we found the Council had provided a satisfactory remedy before the complaint reached the Ombudsman.
This compares to an average of 14% in similar authorities.
9 satisfactory remedy decisions
Statistics are based on a total of 115 upheld decisions for the period between 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024
View all satisfactory remedy decisions
Annual letters
We write to councils each year to give a summary of the complaint statistics we record about them,
and their performance in responding to our investigations.
Reports ?Find out more about reports
In the last nine years, the Ombudsman has published the following reports against Birmingham City Council
Birmingham to change complaints process following Ombudsman report
Birmingham City Council has agreed to revisit the way it responds to complaints about respite care for children with disabilities after it wrongly told families to appeal to the Ombudsman.
Ombudsman issues third critical report about Birmingham’s bin collections
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman is again having to report on Birmingham’s waste collection services after the council had made assurances things would improve.
Birmingham wheelchair user left in unsuitable home for eight years by council
A Birmingham man has been left in unsuitable temporary accommodation for eight years despite the city council knowing it did not meet his needs as a wheelchair user, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has found.
Birmingham City council to refund 11 years of care home fees family paid in error
Birmingham City Council will repay a city family more than 11 years of care home fees after the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman found the family should never have been charged.
Councils warned to ensure grant processes are transparent following Ombudsman complaint
Councils administering Disabled Facilities Grants need to ensure their processes are transparent and accountable, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has said.
Birmingham bins not returned because of council squabble
Bickering Birmingham bin workers have left residents in one city street having to return their heavy communal bins to the right place, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has said.
Ombudsman investigation highlights housing delays in Birmingham
The high number of families trying to join councils’ housing lists is being highlighted by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman following one family’s complaint about their situation.
Birmingham City Council has agreed to revise its home to school transport policy and review all its decisions to issue a travel pass over the past three years following several complaints to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.
City council in foster carer dispute after girl’s mother dies
Birmingham City Council considered allowing an 11 year-old girl to be deported during a dispute with her foster carers, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has discovered.
Birmingham bin problems highlighted in Ombudsman report
From repeated missed collections to failing to return vulnerable people’s bins to the proper place, Birmingham’s refuse service has been criticised in a report by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.
A Birmingham mother had to drive five hours a day to take her adult son, who had ‘severe and critical needs’, to his specialist college, because Birmingham City Council did not provide him with transport, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has found.
Councils advised about school transport changes following Birmingham investigation
The Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) is urging councils to consider carefully the impact any school transport policy changes have on existing pupils after an investigation led to a boy having his free school travel pass reinstated.
Family with left without adequate support after Birmingham City Council failed to help
A family, whose son with special needs was presenting very challenging behaviour, was left without support despite calling on Birmingham City Council for help, the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) has found.
Service improvements ?Find out more about service improvements
Since April 2018, the Council has agreed to make the following improvements to its services following an Ombudsman investigation. We list up to 10 cases below – click ‘view all’ if there are more.
Case reference: 24 012 349
Category: Transport and highways
Sub Category: Parking and other penalties
- The Council will update information on its website to include information about the backlog of approved applications for dropped kerbs and give an approximate timescale for completion of works following payment of the agreed fee.
Case reference: 24 005 620
Category: Education
Sub Category: Alternative provision
- The Council will remind its SEND officers to adhere to statutory timescales when carrying out Education, Health and Care needs assessments to ensure Education, Health and Care Plans are issued by the 20 week deadline.
- The Council will review its communication process between departments involved in education to ensure that where there is evidence that a child is not attending school that it is communicated to the relevant officers so a decision can be made, at the time whether a duty is owed to provide alternative provision to the child.
- The Council will provide the Ombudsman with evidence that it has reviewed its communication process with schools to ensure information about children not attending school is passed to the Council at the earliest opportunity.
Case reference: 24 004 805
Category: Housing
Sub Category: Homelessness
- The Council has agreed to take steps to ensure all decisions are properly recorded.
- The Council has agreed to investigate why the housing applicant's priority was reduced and take action to avoid such errors in future.
- The Council has agreed to review its procedures to ensure that, once a matter under review is resolved, the review is promptly closed.
- The Council has agreed to provide evidence of the action it is taking to ensure housing applicants do not receive blank attachments when officers are recreating letters.
Case reference: 24 004 224
Category: Other Categories
Sub Category: Leisure and culture
- Remind staff to provide clear rationale for decisions, and to ensure all complaint points have been addressed before issuing a response.
Case reference: 24 003 735
Category: Adult care services
Sub Category: Direct payments
- The Counil will remind relevant staff members of the need to complete support plans in a timely fashion and ensure interim arrangements are put in place in the event of a dispute over direct payments.
Case reference: 24 003 362
Category: Housing
Sub Category: Homelessness
- The Council has agreed to remind officers that they must record the reasons for their decisions and that offers of accommodation to discharge the main housing duty must be made in writing.
- The Council has agreed to provide an update on the action it is taking to reduce the time it is taking to carry out reviews of homelessness decisions.
Case reference: 24 002 037
Category: Housing
Sub Category: Allocations
- The Council has agreed to provide an updated action plan to show the action it is taking to reduce delays in processing housing applications and carrying out reviews. It will also provide a report showing how long it is currently taking to assess applications and carry out reviews, and how this has changed over the last year. It will explain the reason for any periods when delays have increased.
Case reference: 24 000 823
Category: Housing
Sub Category: Homelessness
- Review its policies to ensure rent arrears are notified to those in temporary accommodation.
Case reference: 24 000 304
Category: Education
Sub Category: Alternative provision
- Remind staff, either by training or briefing note, of the lessons learned from this case including the need to take action within six days following a permanent education and to provide full time alternative education when a child cannot attend school.
Last updated: 4 April 2015