Ombudsman complaints on council children’s services increase amid rising demand

SUFFOLK County Council has seen an increase in the number of Ombudsman complaints within children's services amid rising demand.

The Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman released its annual report showing a wholesale increase in the number of complaints, to more than 20,000 across the country for the first time.

Broken down, the report shows a continued rise in complaints relating to children's services, which make up more than half of all Ombudsman decisions.

In Suffolk, of the 189 complaints made against the county council during the 2024/25 financial year, 139 related to its education and children's services, an increase from the 94 reported in the previous year.

Of the total number, 80 were investigated by the Ombudsman and 75 were upheld, which cost the council £101,450, a slight reduction on the previous year.

In the meantime, council data shows a continued increase in demand, with the number of Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs) nearly doubling since 2018, with as many as one in 20 Suffolk pupils having one.

A spokesperson said: "While we acknowledge that the overall volume of upheld decisions from the LGSCO remains higher than we would like, a review of the Ombudsman's national report shows that Suffolk is not an outlier in this regard."

The council has seen a drop in the number of complaints within adult care services, down from 32 to 28, despite supporting 20,386 people, 279 more than the previous year.

The Ombudsman did not raise specific concerns with the council in this year's review, which the authority hoped reflected its commitment to improve, having added resources and training to the team dealing with special educational needs and disabilities complaints.