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OMBUDSMAN

Ombudsman issues 'rare' second report criticising council

A council has received a rare second warning after failing to comply with recommendations made by the local government Ombudsman.

A council has received a rare second warning after failing to comply with recommendations made by the local government Ombudsman.

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGO) issued a further report into the Council of the Isles of Scilly after it failed to comply with recommendations made in August.

LGO Michael King said: ‘Since we chased the council about its response to the initial report it has - albeit belatedly- sent an apology to the family and provided part of the financial remedy recommended.

‘The council's failure to respond properly to the original report has shown a great deal of disrespect to the family, and can have only compounded their sense of injustice.

‘I am disappointed it took prompting and the threat of this further report for the council to provide part of the remedy it had previously agreed,' continued Mr King.

‘It still needs to provide evidence it has complied with other aspects of the original recommendations, including for their loss of services, which were clearly set out in the original report and have remained consistent throughout our regular correspondence with the council.'

The LGO said the council should ensure it complies with the recommendations in the original report and provide evidence of this without delay.

It also ordered the council to pay the family an additional £250 for the injustice caused by having to issue a further report.

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