More than two thirds of complaints made about the Isle of Wight Council are not upheld.
There were 16 detailed investigations carried out into the council by the local government and social care ombudsman from 1st April 2018 to 31st March 2019.
But the independent body found evidence of a fault in only 31 per cent (five) of these — below the average of 55 per cent in similar local authorities.
Drop in number of complaints
According to the Ombudsman, they received 43 complaints about the Isle of Wight council in 2018-19 compared to 49 in the previous year.
| Area | No. of complaints |
|---|---|
| Adult Social Care | 10 |
| Benefits and Tax | 4 |
| Corporate and Other Services | 4 |
| Education and Children's Services | 6 |
| Environmental Services, Public Protection and Regulation | 5 |
| Highways and Transport | 4 |
| Housing | 1 |
| Planning and Development | 9 |
Complaints not upheld
One complaint not upheld said the council failed to resolve issues around arranging contact between a man’s grandson and granddaughter.
Another said the council wrongly used its unacceptable behaviour policy against him and his wife in response to a question he asked at a cabinet meeting.
Upheld decisions
The upheld decisions regarded noise, council tax, planning applications, special educational needs and safeguarding.
The ombudsman was satisfied that the council complied with their recommendations on time whenever one was made.
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which OnTheWight is taking part in. Some alterations and additions may be been made by OnTheWight. Ed
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