Hillingdon Council is experiencing an increase in upheld complaints to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, a trend that has emerged following the implementation of new Complaint Handling Codes on 1 April 2024. These codes, introduced by both the Housing Ombudsman Service and the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, have led to the reclassification of informal complaints, removing them as a category and replacing them with 'Service Request'.
The authority's standards and ethics indicators for 2025 were reviewed by the Standards Committee. The report indicated that out of 52 concluded complaints to the Ombudsman services, 79% (41) were not investigated. However, four complaints were upheld, with no cases being partially upheld.
The reclassification of informal complaints is having a significant impact, with the council now registering more formal complaints. This, in turn, means more complaints are escalating to the Ombudsman. The report, available as part of the Public reports pack, attributes the rise in formal complaints being registered to these new Complaint Handling Codes. This shift is anticipated to lead to a further increase in complaints reaching the Ombudsman services.
