Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council
Annual statistics ?Find out more about annual statistics
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Complaints upheld
62% Complaints upheld by Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council
62% of complaints we investigated were upheld.
This compares to an average of 80% in similar authorities.
13 upheld decisions
View upheld decisionsAdjusted for Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council's population, this is
3 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 21 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 Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council
100% 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 10 compliance outcomes for the period between 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024
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Satisfactory remedies provided by the Council
15% Complaints with satisfactory remedy provided by Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council
In 15% 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.
2 satisfactory remedy decisions
Statistics are based on a total of 13 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 Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council
Ombudsman urges Kirklees council to learn from complaints
Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council has been told to learn from complaints after it left a boy with learning difficulties without the full support he needs for three years.
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: 24 000 679
Category: Adult care services
Sub Category: Assessment and care plan
- Remind staff in writing of the importance of providing full information about the likely costs of care.
Case reference: 23 020 343
Category: Education
Sub Category: Alternative provision
- The Council will remind relevant Special Educational Needs and Disability staff of the statutory timescales for issuing final Education, Health and Care Plans.
- The Council will remind relevant officers and managers to make and store clear and accurate records of section 19 decision making.
- The Council will provide the Ombudsman with evidence to show its change in complaints handling to ensure all verbal communication is followed up with a written outcome.
Case reference: 23 016 084
Category: Education
Sub Category: Alternative provision
- The Council will remind relevant officers and managers of its statutory duties to provide alternative education provision under Section 19 of the Education Act 1996. It will also consider reviewing its policies and procedures related to these duties and share the Ombudsman's focus report 'Out of school, Out of Sight'. These actions will help to ensure that those who are due alternative education provision receive it in a timely manner and will help to ensure the Council understands and retains oversight and control of its statutory duties.
- The Council will remind relevant officers and managers of its statutory duties under Section 42 of the Children and Families Act 2014 which say it must deliver specialist provision set out in an Education, Health and Care Plan. The Council will also consider reviewing its policies and procedures linked to these statutory duties. This will help to ensure it retains oversight and control of its duty to deliver specialist education set out in any such plans.
- The Council will remind relevant officers and managers of the need to communicate in a timely and transparent manner and to make and store appropriately detailed and contemporaneous records when completing work on special educational needs files. This will help to ensure those affected are properly kept up to date and that records are more detailed, showing what happened and when.
- The Council will remind relevant officers and managers of its duties to promote educational achievement for previously looked after children as per its duties under Section 23ZZA of the Children Act 1989. This will help to ensure those affected are given appropriate opportunities to access education.
- The Council will review its special educational needs transformation plan in relation to alternative educational provision. It will then present this review to the relevant committee to ensure cabinet oversight and scrutiny. This will help to ensure it has adequate plans in place to deliver alternative educational provision to those who are due it.
Case reference: 23 014 389
Category: Adult care services
Sub Category: Charging
- The Council has agreed to ensure that it provides more information about the likely level of a person’s contribution before they agree to the care package; and take steps to reduce the time taken to complete the financial assessment process.
Case reference: 23 013 968
Category: Adult care services
Sub Category: Assessment and care plan
- The Council will ensure it has enough staff to complete financial assessments without delay.
Case reference: 23 013 093
Category: Housing
Sub Category: Homelessness
- By training or other means, share the learning from this complaint, the requirements of chapter 21 of the Homelessness Code of Guidance and Improving Access to Social Housing for Victims of Domestic Abuse guidance with officers to ensure they are aware of how to appropriately deal with homelessness and housing register applicants at risk of domestic abuse.
- By training or other means, reminds officers to notify applicants of their right to seek a review of their priority band.
Case reference: 23 009 454
Category: Adult care services
Sub Category: Residential care
- Through the Council’s commissioning team it should ensure the Care Provider’s staff are reminded either through team meetings or a staff circular, and if necessary, provide staff training about:a) the importance of recording clear contemporaneous records;b) completing body maps, assessments, and support plans when people enter the service;c) the importance of providing person centred care when people have communication difficulties.
- Through the Council’s commissioning team it will ensure the Care Provider’s falls policy has sufficient detail and staff are trained about what a physical examination should entail after a person has a fall.
- Through the Council’s commissioning team it will ensure the Care Provider has a communication policy and that staff are trained on this policy.
Case reference: 23 004 095
Category: Planning
Sub Category: Enforcement
- The Council will review its case management processes for its planning enforcement services, ensuring it has sufficient alerts after periods of inactivity, and sufficient management oversight of case progression.
Case reference: 23 002 450
Category: Adult care services
Sub Category: Residential care
- The Council will send the Ombudsman evidence of its progress with the action plan.
Case reference: 23 001 559
Category: Children's care services
Sub Category: Child protection
- The Council will remind relevant staff of the need to complete the children's statutory complaints procedure within the statutory timescales.
Last updated: 4 April 2015