Sheffield City Council
Annual statistics ?Find out more about annual statistics
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Complaints upheld
83% Complaints upheld by Sheffield City Council
83% of complaints we investigated were upheld.
This compares to an average of 80% in similar authorities.
20 upheld decisions
View upheld decisionsAdjusted for Sheffield City Council's population, this is
3.5 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 24 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 Sheffield City 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 14 compliance outcomes for the period between 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024
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Satisfactory remedies provided by the Council
25% Complaints with satisfactory remedy provided by Sheffield City Council
In 25% 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.
5 satisfactory remedy decisions
Statistics are based on a total of 20 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 Sheffield City Council
Ombudsman investigation finds young Sheffield woman let down by city council
A vulnerable young Sheffield woman was told by the city council during its investigation into the abuse she suffered that she could have stopped it sooner if she had spoken up.
Sheffield boy misses out on full-time secondary school education because of council faults
A Sheffield boy with special educational needs has missed out on much of his senior schooling because the city council did not provide suitable alternative education for him, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has found.
Council should apologise for tree controversy, Ombudsman says
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has asked Sheffield City Council to make a public apology to the people of the city after numerous problems were found with the way it removed street trees.
Blue badge applications to be reviewed in Sheffield
Sheffield City Council incorrectly assessed people for disabled blue badges, says an investigation by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.
Council delays left boy without proper education for 18 months
An Ombudsman investigation about a Sheffield schoolboy left without the right Special Educational Needs (SEN) support for 18 months, has highlighted how councils across the country could improve their practice.
The joint investigation by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman and the Local Government Ombudsman found the woman was left without the right care package for more than a year, because of a dispute between Sheffield City Council and Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust, a mental health trust.
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: 24 005 127
Category: Adult care services
Sub Category: Safeguarding
- The Council will issue a staff briefing to remind Council and Hallam24 Healthcare staff, where relevant, of the importance of:•reassessing and completing reviews of care plans in a timely manner;•following care plans; and•raising concerns about care plan tasks when necessary to avoid tasks being uncompleted.This will help to ensure all care needs of service users are met and reviewed in a timely manner, without delay.
- The Council will provide staff training about good communication when making and communicating decisions to service users. This will help to ensure clarity and avoid confusion when the Council is making and communicating decisions to service users.
Case reference: 24 005 015
Category: Environment and regulation
Sub Category: Refuse and recycling
- The Council will remind all waste management staff, including managers, what its waste management policy is. Specifically, that its policy says supported living waste is classed as domestic waste and is therefore eligible for free domestic waste collections.
Case reference: 24 002 326
Category: Benefits and tax
Sub Category: Council tax support
- The Council agree to review its process, including any standard or template letters, for responding to council tax reductions reviews to ensure it informs people of their rights to appeal relevant decisions to the Valuation Tribunal.
Case reference: 23 021 148
Category: Education
Sub Category: Special educational needs
- Provide a copy of the EOTAS policy to evidence it is acting following the fault identified in this case.
Case reference: 23 017 818
Category: Education
Sub Category: Alternative provision
- The Council has agreed to provide the Ombudsman with evidence it has reminded education staff that the Council should consider its section19 duty to pupils from the fifteenth day of absence from school and clearly record its decision making at that time.
Case reference: 23 015 273
Category: Adult care services
Sub Category: Assessment and care plan
- By training or other means remind relevant staff of the importance of adhering to the Council’s complaint policy times.
Case reference: 23 007 943
Category: Adult care services
Sub Category: Transport
- The Council has agreed that it will review its Blue Badge Scheme policy to ensure it complies with national guidance.
Case reference: 23 004 844
Category: Education
Sub Category: Special educational needs
- The Council has agreed to review how it commissions its speech and language therapy to ensure it can secure this type of therapy when it is a requirement of young people's Education Health and Care Plans.
- The Council has agreed to remind its Special Educational Needs and Disabilities staff that the Council's duty to secure the provision in Section F of Education Health and Care Plans is non-delegable.
Case reference: 23 004 629
Category: Adult care services
Sub Category: Residential care
- The Council has agreed to work with Valley Wood care home to identify the action it needs to take to ensure:a) it does not overlook the need to prompt people to take fortified drinks and documents this properly;b) its staff have access to people’s care plans and follow them when delivering care; andc) care records are not misplaced after someone has left the care home.
Case reference: 23 001 080
Category: Education
Sub Category: Special educational needs
- The Council will send written reminders to relevant staff of its responsibilities under Section 19 of the Education Act 1996 when it is made aware a child is attending school part-time, or needs a special school placement. This should cover what the Council should consider when assessing the suitability of education and how it will provide, or work towards, a full-time education in such circumstances.
Last updated: 4 April 2015