The Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman recently launched a new guide to help local authorities handle complaints under the children’s services statutory complaints process.

Free to download, the short guide shares the lessons from previous investigations about how councils should apply the regulations and statutory guidance. Being the area in which we receive the most queries from local authorities, it addresses the common questions received.

For complaints about many areas of children’s services, there is a statutory, three-stage complaints procedure local authorities must follow. Common questions answered in the guide include basic issues around what areas come under the statutory process along with more detailed questions about young people’s consent, court action, delays and deadlines, and statements of complaint.