LGO Individual Decisions

33,513 published decisions from the Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman (Jan 2022–Feb 2026). The Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman investigates complaints about councils and registered social care providers in England. Source: lgo.org.uk.

33,513
Total Decisions
11,687
Investigated
9,465
Upheld
81%
Upheld (of investigated)
Clear

Showing 671 results matching "Essex County Council"

Essex County Council (25-001-062)
Education Upheld
Decision date: 1 Jun 2025 · Essex County Council
Subject: Special Educational Needs
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Education, Health and Care plan process. This is because the Council has agreed to an appropriate remedy for the injustice caused by the delay.
Essex County Council (24-022-746)
Education Upheld
Decision date: 1 Jun 2025 · Essex County Council
Subject: Special Educational Needs
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Education, Health and Care plan process. This is because the Council has agreed to an appropriate remedy for the injustice caused by the delay.
Essex County Council (25-001-054)
Education Upheld
Decision date: 1 Jun 2025 · Essex County Council
Subject: Special Educational Needs
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Education, Health and Care plan process. This is because the Council has agreed to an appropriate remedy for the injustice caused by the delay.
Essex County Council (24-022-919)
Education Upheld
Decision date: 1 Jun 2025 · Essex County Council
Subject: Special Educational Needs
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Education, Health and Care plan process. This is because the Council has agreed to an appropriate remedy for the injustice caused by the delay.
Essex County Council (24-022-741)
Education Other
Decision date: 28 May 2025 · Essex County Council
Subject: Special Educational Needs
Summary: We cannot investigate Mrs X’s complaint the Council named a school which could not meet her child’s needs in their Education, Health and Care Plan. This is because we cannot investigate any matter connected to a decision that has been appealed to a tribunal.
Essex County Council (24-022-524)
Education Upheld
Decision date: 28 May 2025 · Essex County Council
Subject: Special Educational Needs
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Education, Health and Care plan process. This is because the Council has agreed to an appropriate remedy for the injustice caused by the delay.
Essex County Council (24-022-156)
Education Upheld
Decision date: 28 May 2025 · Essex County Council
Subject: Special Educational Needs
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Education, Health and Care plan process. This is because the Council has agreed to an appropriate remedy for the injustice caused by the delay.
Essex County Council (24-014-730)
Education Upheld
Decision date: 27 May 2025 · Essex County Council
Subject: School Transport
Summary: Miss X complained about school transport provided to her daughter (Y) and the Council’s complaint handling. We found fault in the way the taxi company provided school transport for Y on behalf of the Council. We also found fault in the way the Council responded to Miss X’s complaints. The Council has agreed to apologise, make payments to recognise Miss X’s distress and extra time and trouble spent complaining and discuss the issues raised in Miss X’s complaint with the taxi company.
Essex County Council (24-020-717)
Education Other
Decision date: 27 May 2025 · Essex County Council
Subject: School Transport
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about home to school transport for the complainant’s son. It is unlikely that an investigation by the Ombudsman would lead to a different outcome or give the complainant what she wants.
Essex County Council (24-013-532)
Adult Care Services Not Upheld
Decision date: 26 May 2025 · Essex County Council
Subject: Assessment And Care Plan
Summary: Mrs A complains on behalf of Mr X that the Council has not dealt with a social care assessment properly causing him distress. The Council is not at fault.
Essex County Council (24-022-137)
Education Upheld
Decision date: 22 May 2025 · Essex County Council
Subject: Special Educational Needs
Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about delays in the Education Health and Care Plan process. This is because the Council has agreed to apologise to Miss X and pay her £100 per month for the delay. We consider this an appropriate remedy and further investigation is therefore unlikely to achieve anything more.
Essex County Council (25-000-110)
Education Upheld
Decision date: 22 May 2025 · Essex County Council
Subject: Special Educational Needs
Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about delays in the Education Health and Care Plan process. This is because the Council has agreed to apologise to Mrs X and pay her £100 per month for the delay. We consider this an appropriate remedy and further investigation is therefore unlikely to achieve anything more.
Essex County Council (24-022-589)
Education Upheld
Decision date: 22 May 2025 · Essex County Council
Subject: Special Educational Needs
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Education, Health and Care plan process. This is because the Council has agreed to an appropriate remedy for the injustice caused by the delay.
Essex County Council (24-012-534)
Education Upheld
Decision date: 22 May 2025 · Essex County Council
Subject: Special Educational Needs
Summary: Mrs F complained the Council failed to adhere to the statutory timescales for the Education, Health and Care needs assessment process for her son (X), and it caused delay in arranging alternative provision when he could not attend his school. The Council’s delay to complete the statutory process is a service failure, but we did not find fault in how it handled X’s alternative provision up to November 2024. The Council will apologise and make a symbolic payment to acknowledge the distress its service failure has and continues to cause Mrs F and X.
Essex County Council (24-022-797)
Education Upheld
Decision date: 22 May 2025 · Essex County Council
Subject: Special Educational Needs
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Education, Health and Care plan process. This is because the Council has agreed to an appropriate remedy for the injustice caused by the delay.
Essex County Council (25-000-201)
Education Upheld
Decision date: 20 May 2025 · Essex County Council
Subject: Special Educational Needs
Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about delays in the Education Health and Care Plan process. This is because the Council has agreed to apologise to Ms X and pay her £100 per month for the delay. We consider this an appropriate remedy and further investigation is therefore unlikely to achieve anything more.
Essex County Council (25-000-233)
Education Upheld
Decision date: 20 May 2025 · Essex County Council
Subject: Special Educational Needs
Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about delays in the Education Health and Care Plan process. This is because the Council has agreed to apologise to Miss X and pay her £100 per month for the delay. We consider this an appropriate remedy and further investigation is therefore unlikely to achieve anything more.
Essex County Council (24-014-068)
Education Upheld
Decision date: 19 May 2025 · Essex County Council
Subject: Special Educational Needs
Summary: Mrs X complained that the Council has delayed in completing an Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment for her daughter, Y, within the statutory timeframes. Mrs X also says Y has missed out on education. Mrs X says this has caused both her and Y distress and frustration. We have found fault in the actions of the Council. We recommend the Councils writes to Mrs X to apologise, pays a financial remedy and completes Y’s Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment.
Essex County Council (25-000-256)
Education Upheld
Decision date: 18 May 2025 · Essex County Council
Subject: Special Educational Needs
Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about delays in the Education Health and Care Plan process. This is because the Council has agreed to apologise to Mrs X and pay her £100 per month for the delay. We consider this an appropriate remedy and further investigation is therefore unlikely to achieve anything more.
Essex County Council (24-023-099)
Education Upheld
Decision date: 18 May 2025 · Essex County Council
Subject: Special Educational Needs
Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about delays in the Education Health and Care Plan process. This is because the Council has agreed to apologise to Mrs X and pay her £100 per month for the delay. We consider this an appropriate remedy and further investigation is therefore unlikely to achieve anything more.
Essex County Council (24-022-152)
Education Other
Decision date: 14 May 2025 · Essex County Council
Subject: Special Educational Needs
Summary: We cannot investigate Mrs X’s complaint that the Council failed to arrange a suitable school placement or the special educational provision set out in her child’s Education, Health and Care Plan. These matters overlap with a SEND Tribunal appeal about her child’s Plan.
Essex County Council (24-012-120)
Education Upheld
Decision date: 14 May 2025 · Essex County Council
Subject: Special Educational Needs
Summary: Dr X complains that the Council failed to ensure her child, Y, received the provision in his Education, Health and Care Plan. We found the Council at fault as the school delayed in putting in place some of the provision in section F of Y’s Education, Health and Care Plan. This made it harder for Y to settle into his school and disadvantaged him. The delay also caused distress to Dr X. The Council will remedy this injustice as recommended.
Essex County Council (24-015-301)
Adult Care Services Upheld
Decision date: 12 May 2025 · Essex County Council
Subject: Safeguarding
Summary: Ms X complains the Council failed to recognise that a malicious safeguarding concern had been raised about her, resulting in it investigating the concern and subjecting her to supervised contact with her son. The Council accepts it should have started making safeguarding enquiries when it first received the concern in December 2023 and has apologised. There is no other evidence of fault by the Council.
Essex County Council (24-020-885)
Education Upheld
Decision date: 12 May 2025 · Essex County Council
Subject: Special Educational Needs
Summary: We have upheld this complaint because the Council delayed carrying out an Education Health and Care needs assessment for a child. The Council has agreed to resolve the complaint by offering to make a suitable payment to the complainant to remedy the injustice this caused.
Essex County Council (24-008-703)
Education Upheld
Decision date: 12 May 2025 · Essex County Council
Subject: Special Educational Needs
Summary: Ms X complained the Council did not provide suitable education to her child when they were out of school and delayed updating their education, health and care plan. Based on current evidence I intend to find the Council at fault for not providing suitable education and delaying making a decision on Ms X’s child’s annual review. Ms X’s child has missed a significant amount of education. To remedy the injustice caused the Council agreed to apologise, make a payment to recognise loss of education and secure suitable provision for the child.
Upheld
9,465
LGO found fault with the organisation complained about.
Not Upheld
2,222
Complaint investigated but no fault found.
Closed / Other
21,826
Closed after initial enquiries, resolved early, or withdrawn.

Investigated Decisions Over Time

Excludes 21,826 closed after initial enquiries. Quarterly, by outcome.

Annual Complaints (LGO-wide)

Official annual statistics across all organisations

Year Received Investigated Upheld Upheld %
2024-25 39,320 8,596 7,104 82.6%

Decisions by Sector

Sectors by Upheld Rate

Which sectors have the highest upheld rate?

Sector Decisions Upheld Rate
Education 5,609 3,193 57%
Adult Care Services 5,168 2,094 41%
Transport And Highways 4,050 306 8%
Housing 4,021 1,407 35%
Planning 3,380 395 12%
Children S Care Services 3,280 792 24%
Environment And Regulation 3,201 592 18%
Benefits And Tax 2,378 405 17%
Other Categories 1,968 118 6%
Health 458 163 36%

Organisation Accountability

Top 20 organisations by upheld rate (minimum 5 investigated decisions). Based on 11,687 investigated decisions (excludes 21,826 closed after initial enquiries). Benchmark: 81% average across all investigated decisions. Sparklines show annual decision volumes 2022–2026.

# Organisation Trend Investigated Upheld Not Upheld Upheld Rate vs avg
1 Care UK Community Partnerships Limited 10 10 0 100% +19pp
2 Three Rivers District Council 9 9 0 100% +19pp
3 Broxbourne Borough Council 7 7 0 100% +19pp
4 St Albans City Council 7 7 0 100% +19pp
5 Burnley Borough Council 6 6 0 100% +19pp
6 Runnymede Borough Council 6 6 0 100% +19pp
7 Adur District Council 5 5 0 100% +19pp
8 Rutland County Council 5 5 0 100% +19pp
9 Vale Of White Horse District Council 5 5 0 100% +19pp
10 Swindon Borough Council 23 22 1 96% +15pp
11 Somerset Council 129 122 7 95% +14pp
12 North East Lincolnshire Council 21 20 1 95% +14pp
13 Essex County Council 421 392 29 93% +12pp
14 Derbyshire County Council 136 126 10 93% +12pp
15 Blackpool Borough Council 14 13 1 93% +12pp
16 London Borough of Lambeth 153 140 13 92% +11pp
17 London Borough of Barking & Dagenham 59 54 5 92% +11pp
18 Warrington Council 13 12 1 92% +11pp
19 Eastbourne Borough Council 12 11 1 92% +11pp
20 London Borough of Southwark 139 126 13 91% +10pp
All-organisation benchmark 81%