Cornwall Council
Annual statistics ?Find out more about annual statistics
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Complaints upheld
77% Complaints upheld by Cornwall Council
77% of complaints we investigated were upheld.
This compares to an average of 79% in similar authorities.
33 upheld decisions
View upheld decisionsAdjusted for Cornwall Council's population, this is
5.7 upheld decisions per 100,000 residents.The average for authorities of this type is
4.6 upheld decisions per 100,000 residents.Statistics are based on a total of 43 investigations for the period between 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024
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Compliance with Ombudsman recommendations
100% of cases were successfully implemented by Cornwall Council
100% of cases we were satisfied the Council had successfully implemented our recommendations.
This compares to an average of 100% in similar authorities.
Statistics are based on a total of 28 compliance outcomes for the period between 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024
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Satisfactory remedies provided by the Council
18% Complaints with satisfactory remedy provided by Cornwall Council
In 18% of upheld cases we found the Council had provided a satisfactory remedy before the complaint reached the Ombudsman.
This compares to an average of 13% in similar authorities.
6 satisfactory remedy decisions
Statistics are based on a total of 33 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 Cornwall Council
Cornwall care cost calculations criticised
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman is reminding councils that people can spend their money as they wish, within reason, when paying for their own care, after an investigation found faults with the way Cornwall Council assessed a man’s finances.
Cornwall Council stopped payments for disabled woman’s care without organising alternative
A Cornish woman was left without the support she needed after the council told her she could not pay her daughter to care for her, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman said.
Cornwall Council will look into the cases of all children not attending school to ensure they are receiving a suitable alternative education, following an investigation by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.
Cornwall Council takes more than a decade to decide village green application
Cornwall Council has taken more than 11 years to determine a man’s village green application, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has found.
Cornish boy left without proper education for year because of lack of joined-up approach by council
A Cornish boy with special educational needs, who was excluded from his primary school because of behavioural problems, missed out on full-time education for 12 months, a Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman investigation has found.
Cornwall Council leaves homeless teenager in a tent
Cornwall Council made a host of significant failings when it accommodated a vulnerable 17 year-old boy in a tent and caravan over a summer, a Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman investigation has found.
Councils should avoid unnecessary delays when creating special educational needs support plans for children the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has warned, following an investigation into a complaint about Cornwall Council.
Complaint about Cornish equestrian development sparks investigation by Ombudsman
Cornwall Council has been asked to review its planning process following a complaint to the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO).
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: 24 009 660
Category: Children's care services
Sub Category: Other
- the Council will provide an update on how it is ensuring the outstanding stage two investigations are progressing.
Case reference: 24 005 023
Category: Transport and highways
Sub Category: Highway repair and maintenance
- Consider how often the gullies need cleaning.
Case reference: 24 001 518
Category: Adult care services
Sub Category: Charging
- The Council agreed to send a written reminder to its Adult Social Care officers about the need to handle residents’ complaints in a timely manner by either responding directly or referring them its Feedback Team.
Case reference: 24 000 115
Category: Housing
Sub Category: Allocations
- The Council will review all the evidence sent and make a fresh reasoned decision on the request for a two-bedroom property showing it took account of all relevant evidence provided in support.
- The Council agreed to remind all relevant staff involved with the making of decisions about bedroom entitlement of the need to: i) give reasons in support of itsdecisions; and ii) show they considered all relevant evidence against the requirements of its policy.
Case reference: 23 021 362
Category: Education
Sub Category: Special educational needs
- The Council will review its policy for handling complaints on special educational need matters and ensure the policy requires complaint investigations to consider appropriate remedies for injustice caused by any fault it upholds.
- Following a review of the relevant policy the Council will remind relevant staff to consider appropriate remedies in its complaint responses for any injustices it identifies as a result of a Council fault.
Case reference: 23 020 604
Category: Environment and regulation
Sub Category: Refuse and recycling
- The Council will remind relevant officers to carry out wheelie bin assessment reviews within timescales outlined in its policy.
Case reference: 23 020 576
Category: Adult care services
Sub Category: Charging
- The Council will:-a) review and if necessary update processes on the procedure of advising people about charges where the person they are supporting lacks capacity and they have no legal authority to deal with their finances on their behalf;
- b) remind staff by a staff circular or team meeting about the importance of recording any advice give about charges;
- c) remind staff by a staff circular or team meeting about the importance of providing information about residential care charges to people using the service or those acting on their behalf.
Case reference: 23 019 534
Category: Adult care services
Sub Category: Charging
- Share lessons learnt with the Practice Assurance Group which will review and amend working practices where necessary and provide briefings to staff of any changes.
Case reference: 23 019 223
Category: Education
Sub Category: Special educational needs
- Within three months the Council will remind relevant staff to respond to complaints in line with the Council’s procedure;
- Within three months the Council will provide us with its plan to improve compliance with the EHC needs assessment timescales.
Case reference: 23 018 367
Category: Adult care services
Sub Category: Direct payments
- The Council should carry out a review of how it supports, monitors and audits recipients of direct payments. This is to ensure all current and future recipients of direct payments are adequately monitored and audited in line with statutory guidance and to ensure similar matters such as this do not occur in the future. The resulting report should be considered by the appropriate Council committee.
Last updated: 4 April 2015