Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman
The current (interim) Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman is Paul Najsarek, whose appointment commenced on 1 April 2023.[10] If the LGO finds the body investigated acted with fault, which caused the person an injustice, it will recommend a remedy to put things right.This includes issuing advice on good administrative practice in local government based on experience from prior investigations and also offer training in complaint handling to councils and care providers.[12] Although it will hear complaints of maladministration stemming from the actions of individual councillors[13] and council employees, the service can only seek to remedy the injustice and cannot discipline the person responsible.[citation needed] Unless they are also members of a professional body, such as the Law Society, individual officers can only be disciplined by their employer.One risk of taking a complaint to the Local Government Ombudsman is that the complainant may run out of time to seek judicial review of a council's decision, missing the opportunity to raise the original matter in court.