Departmental capacity for grant design
Initial lack of departmental capacity and insufficient local engagement in the design and delivery of grant schemes.
Source spread
Where this theme appears
This theme appears across 14 independent accountability sources, so the source mix matters as much as the headline total.
19 inquiry recs
3 PFD reports
518 committee recs
1 HMICFRS rec
53 ICIBI recs
105 NAO recs
4 IMB recs
1 IMB report
1 detention investigation rec
3 DHR recs
32 PHSO decisions
148 LGO/SPSO decisions
Browse by source
Source-grouped records are useful for tracing where a concern came from. Large sections show the 50 strongest matches for that source; counts still show the full theme total.
Inquiry recommendations(19)
FP81 — Recommendation 81
Recommendation: Requirements for research and development should be identified and collated and an appropriate scheme of research and development prepared by SPSA. Appropriate arrangements and funding (when available) should then be provided to enable research and development to take place on …
No response yet
RHI-1 — Policy Skills Assessment
Recommendation: A new policy at its earliest stage should be subject to a rigorous process to determine whether the Northern Ireland devolved administration has (or is prepared to assign) the necessary skills and resources to deliver the policy safely and competently. …
Gov response: These recommendations can be accepted in full. Some elements are addressed in existing guidance, including: • the role of the Senior Responsible Officer in respect of the delivery of a project or programme; • existing …
Accepted
RHI-30 — Budget Holder Financial Training
Recommendation: Civil servants who are responsible for holding and monitoring a budget should have to demonstrate core requirements in financial literacy and an understanding of how public spending operates, including what is expected of them according to the core guidance contained …
Gov response: These recommendations can be accepted in full. It is important to note that public expenditure in NI is governed by the UK Budgeting rules set by HM Treasury. These rules mean that there is limited …
Accepted
RHI-21 — Sceptical Business Case Scrutiny
Recommendation: The Department of Finance's distinctive role in scrutinising business cases should be searching and sceptical, guarding against over-reliance on the assurances offered by the applicant Department.
Gov response: These recommendations can be accepted in full. It is important to note that public expenditure in NI is governed by the UK Budgeting rules set by HM Treasury. These rules mean that there is limited …
Accepted
RHI-19 — Business Case Approval Redesign
Recommendation: The processes within a Department for approving new expenditure and business cases including, where it forms part of that process, the role of Casework Committees, should be thoroughly re-designed to be more rigorous, testing and independent. Such processes should be …
Gov response: These recommendations can be accepted in full. It is important to note that public expenditure in NI is governed by the UK Budgeting rules set by HM Treasury. These rules mean that there is limited …
Accepted
RHI-16 — Third Party Governance
Recommendation: Where other government bodies, such as Ofgem, or contractors or other third parties are involved in the implementation of a project, the 'home' Department must retain overall control and overall project management. The governance arrangement between the Northern Ireland Department …
Gov response: These recommendations can be accepted in full. They have been addressed in work to date through: • strengthening of policy and guidance relating to project delivery; • work to establish the new NICS Project Delivery …
Accepted
RHI-14 — Risk Tracking and Reporting
Recommendation: The risks involved in implementation of an initiative must be tracked, re-considered regularly and used to manage, improve and adjust the project in real time. How the risks are being acted upon should be reported to the Project Board and …
Gov response: These recommendations can be accepted in full. They have been addressed in work to date through: • strengthening of policy and guidance relating to project delivery; • work to establish the new NICS Project Delivery …
Accepted
RHI-13 — External Expertise on Project Boards
Recommendation: Project boards are an essential element of project management oversight and must include individuals who can challenge and who are not directly responsible for the day-to-day delivery of the project. Such boards, in appropriate circumstances, can benefit greatly from the …
Gov response: These recommendations can be accepted in full. They have been addressed in work to date through: • strengthening of policy and guidance relating to project delivery; • work to establish the new NICS Project Delivery …
Accepted
RHI-11 — Project Management Disciplines
Recommendation: Best practice project and risk management disciplines should be the default practice within the Northern Ireland Civil Service when developing novel and complex policies and managing their implementation. These disciplines can be widely applied and should not be confined only …
Gov response: These recommendations can be accepted in full. They have been addressed in work to date through: • strengthening of policy and guidance relating to project delivery; • work to establish the new NICS Project Delivery …
Accepted
RHI-10 — External Consultants Guidance
Recommendation: The Northern Ireland Civil Service should consider what changes are needed to its guidance and practices on the use of external consultants arising from the experience of RHI. Specific recommendations include: (a) that better assessments are needed at the outset …
Gov response: These recommendations can be accepted in full. They have been addressed through work to date, including: • job-specific appointments within the NICS generalist grades; • the piloting of Cabinet Office’s “Commercial Skills Assessment and Development …
Accepted
RHI-3 — Policy Skills Training
Recommendation: As far as practicable, Northern Ireland Civil Service teams working on policies, particularly new and untested initiatives, should be trained and supported so that they have the skills to do the job, not least the ability to model the policy, …
Gov response: These recommendations can be accepted in full. Some elements are addressed in existing guidance, including: • the role of the Senior Responsible Officer in respect of the delivery of a project or programme; • existing …
Accepted
RHI-29 — Departmental Finance Functions
Recommendation: The finance function within a Department should exert the necessary authority and capability to fulfil the requirements of 'Managing Public Money Northern Ireland', namely to retain a firm grasp of the organisation's financial position and performance. The Inquiry recommends that …
Gov response: These recommendations can be accepted in full. It is important to note that public expenditure in NI is governed by the UK Budgeting rules set by HM Treasury. These rules mean that there is limited …
Accepted
RHI-23 — Ministerial Notification of Approval Conditions
Recommendation: Ministers should always be advised of any conditions attached to the approval of a policy or project by the Department of Finance. The Department of Finance should also require, and be kept informed of, regular reviews to ensure compliance with …
Gov response: These recommendations can be accepted in full. It is important to note that public expenditure in NI is governed by the UK Budgeting rules set by HM Treasury. These rules mean that there is limited …
Accepted
RHI-22 — Proactive DoF Monitoring
Recommendation: Particularly where a policy initiative is demand-led, novel, complex and/or likely to be lengthy, consideration should be given to increasing Department of Finance involvement from an early stage and on an ongoing basis, including a more proactive role in monitoring …
Gov response: These recommendations can be accepted in full. It is important to note that public expenditure in NI is governed by the UK Budgeting rules set by HM Treasury. These rules mean that there is limited …
Accepted
RHI-15 — Programme Boards for Sector Coordination
Recommendation: Co-ordination of groups of projects aiming to achieve change in a particular sector – e.g. renewable energy projects – would be stronger through use of high level Programme Boards. Such boards should meet regularly and receive reports of relevant experience …
Gov response: These recommendations can be accepted in full. They have been addressed in work to date through: • strengthening of policy and guidance relating to project delivery; • work to establish the new NICS Project Delivery …
Accepted
RHI-12 — Invest NI and SIB Collaboration
Recommendation: The leaders of the Northern Ireland Civil Service should work with Invest Northern Ireland and the Strategic Investment Board to consider how both organisations can better contribute their expertise to the work of mainstream Departments, particularly in relation to good …
Gov response: These recommendations can be accepted in full. They have been addressed in work to date through: • strengthening of policy and guidance relating to project delivery; • work to establish the new NICS Project Delivery …
Accepted
RHI-2 — Novel Policy Scrutiny
Recommendation: Novel, potentially volatile and untested initiatives should in future be scrutinised thoroughly, well ahead of ministerial and business case approval. The Inquiry commends processes such as a 'starting point Gateway assessment' and, at a suitable point, a 'feasibility signoff' completed …
Gov response: These recommendations can be accepted in full. Some elements are addressed in existing guidance, including: • the role of the Senior Responsible Officer in respect of the delivery of a project or programme; • existing …
Accepted
SP33 — CT Policing online activity analysis capability
Recommendation: Counter Terrorism Policing’s capability to access and analyse data relating to a referred person’s online activity should be reviewed in the context of Prevent referrals, to determine whether staff have the technical tools required to undertake this assessment. The Home …
Gov response: The Home Office and CTP are working together to deliver this recommendation. Progress to date: - The Prevent National Referral Form was updated in 2024 to include a request to provide the individual's social media …
Accepted
RHI-20 — Flexible Expenditure Rules
Recommendation: Public expenditure rules should be sufficiently flexible so that false economies can be avoided. In order to deliver a policy objective, Departments should not be required to choose a more expensive option in overall terms because they cannot use the …
Gov response: These recommendations can be accepted in full. It is important to note that public expenditure in NI is governed by the UK Budgeting rules set by HM Treasury. These rules mean that there is limited …
Accepted
Prevention of Future Deaths reports(3)
Cameron Forster
Concerns: The coroner suggests reviewing regulations for mandatory provision of static line parachutes in certain aircraft. Concerns also include the need for mandatory spin recovery training for specific light aircraft types and ensuring pilots are proficient in recovering their specific aircraft from uncontrolled conditions.
Overdue
Gustavo Da Cruz, Mohit Dupar, Inthushan Sriskantharasa, Gurushanth Srithavarajah, Kenugen Saththiyanathan, Kobikanthan Saththiyanathan and Nitharsan Ravi
Concerns: The coroner noted gaps in formal governance for beach safety, raising concerns about reliance on a voluntary structure. The report also describes the need to modernise safety regimes for diverse visitor groups and considers central government powers to restrict beach access.
Response (Royal National Lifeboat Institution): • The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) provides a free beach risk assessment service to local authorities, landowners, and beach owners/operators. • The RNLI draws on national fatality data to … (AI summary)
Response (Rother District Council): • Rother District Council implemented a seasonal lifeguarding service at Camber Sands from May 2017 and committed funding for its provision until December 2019. • The Council developed staff training, … (AI summary)
Response (National Water Safety Forum): • The National Water Safety Forum published the National Drowning Prevention Strategy in February 2016 and is actively promoting its targets. • The Forum influences communities to carry out community-level … (AI summary)
Response (Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents): • RoSPA developed a UK and global standard for water safety signs and symbols (ISO 20712) and produced collective interpretation guides. • RoSPA improved the incident taxonomy for the UK's … (AI summary)
Response (Department for Transport): • The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) will fund an independent review of the current system of risk management for beach safety and drowning prevention. • The MCA has developed … (AI summary)
Responded
Ryan Campbell
Concerns: The absence of a full suite of cardiac diagnostic imaging equipment at Stepping Hill Hospital contributes to delays in diagnosis and necessitates switching treatment centres, which is inconsistent with providing a full cardiology service.
Response (NHS England): • A community diagnostic centre opened in September 2024, providing an additional 74 plain echocardiogram slots per week. • The Trust has planned an additional 20 weekend lists for Stress … (AI summary)
Response (Stockport NHS Foundation Trust): • The Trust opened a community diagnostic centre in September 2024, which provided additional plain echocardiogram slots and reduced waiting times to within the expected 6-week timeframe. • The Trust … (AI summary)
Responded
Select committee recommendations(518)— showing 50 strongest matches
#186 —
Recommendation: Delivery partners asked for flexibility to be built into the contracts, allowing them to adapt their services to the circumstances of the people referred to them. Carrie Peters, who argued that current contracts âcan stifle innovation and stop you from …
Response attribution not verified
#185 —
Recommendation: They asked for longer contracts. âLonger contracts certainly help to build relationships and stability, and people understand where they need to goâ, Carrie Peters told us. 351 Niki Scordi said she would like contracts to last âten yearsâ. 352 Rebecca …
Response attribution not verified
#172 —
Recommendation: We also heard that âthe feedback from the voluntary sector involved in those contracts is that the contracts have felt quite constraining and they have gone to the big national organisationsâ whereas âsmaller providers have felt squeezed outâ and that …
Response attribution not verified
#171 —
Recommendation: We heard, however, that âthere is a mismatch between referrals and what is being commissionedâ. 314 Justin Russell told us that HMPPS âunderestimated the potential demand for things like womenâs services and accommodationâ whereas âthere have not been enough referrals …
Response attribution not verified
#168 —
Recommendation: The second way of commissioning services is through the âRegional Outcomes and Innovation Fundâ (ROIF), which is funding made available by HMPPS to regional probation directors to commission services locally. 308 Justin Russell described this as a âdevolved funding stream, …
Response attribution not verified
#167 —
Recommendation: The first of these is through contracts for âCommissioned Rehabilitative Servicesâ (CRSs) which are centralised at national level and cover six different pathways (Womenâs Services; Personal Wellbeing Services; Finance, Benefits, and Debt; Dependency and Recovery; Education, Training, and Employment Services; …
Response attribution not verified
#76 —
Recommendation: In setting a timetable for the implementation of a measure, the Government must take full account of the steps taxpayers need to take to prepare for the change and the support HMRC needs to provide for this. Regulations and guidance …
Response attribution not verified
#73 —
Recommendation: We recommend that HMRC consider what further incentives it could deploy to encourage greater participation in the whistleblower scheme. (Paragraph 302) Cross Cutting Issues
Response attribution not verified
#42 —
Recommendation: If the Government persists with its current timetable for the merged scheme, we recommend, notwithstanding the reservations set out in our conclusion above, that transitional provisions be included in the legislation so that providers can continue to claim relief for …
Response attribution not verified
#41 —
Recommendation: Transitional rules within the merged scheme would be undesirable: they add to the overall complexity of the transition and could mean that affected businesses are subject to two different regimes (both the RDEC and the merged scheme) in relation to …
Response attribution not verified
#40 —
Recommendation: We acknowledge that changes to the subcontracting rules announced at Autumn Statement 2023 should go some way to assuaging the concerns of larger companies concerning the adoption of the SME model for subcontracting arrangements. Nonetheless, such businesses will have a …
Response attribution not verified
#29 —
Recommendation: We are concerned that the introduction of the merged scheme will impact investment in R&D by SMEs, and subsequently impact UK productivity and growth. We note the concerns raised by witnesses that the reduction in the rate of the relief …
Response attribution not verified
#28 —
Recommendation: We are doubtful that final guidance of the quality needed to support businesses as they adjust to the merged scheme can be put in place by 1 April 2024. Without final detailed guidance, well in advance of the start date, …
Response attribution not verified
#25 —
Recommendation: We recommend that the start date for the new scheme be delayed until a company’s first accounting period to start on or after 1 April 2025.
Response attribution not verified
#24 —
Recommendation: We remain concerned that, even with the latest possible start date under the revised timetable, businesses will not have enough time to prepare for the new scheme.
Response attribution not verified
#9 —
Recommendation: We acknowledge that the threshold test for R&D intensity creates a cliff-edge, but we recognise that many alternative approaches, such as tapering relief as R&D intensity decreases, could create more complexity. However, we welcome the announcement at Autumn Statement 2023 …
Response attribution not verified
#8 —
Recommendation: The Government should explain why it considers this approach to be the best way of incentivising the types of innovation that will support economic growth.
Response attribution not verified
#7 —
Recommendation: A scheme based on R&D intensity is agnostic as to the type of R&D that a company is undertaking. We note that a number of our witnesses did not understand why this approach had been taken, rather than targeting specific …
Response attribution not verified
#3 —
Recommendation: We welcome the announcement at Autumn Statement 2023 that the R&D review is now complete. Businesses need time to adjust to all the recent changes to R& D relief. We recommend that, over the medium term, the Government does not …
Response attribution not verified
#174 —
Recommendation: Any future programmes created as part of the local growth funding reforms should have a highly simplified bidding process. The Government should clearly identify the maximum appropriate time and cost of bidding required from local authorities and design the processes …
Response attribution not verified
#171 —
Recommendation: The bidding system for awarding funding to local authorities for regeneration projects has historically been inefficient and costly for local authorities applying for funding.
Response attribution not verified
#170 —
Recommendation: Ministers from the new Government agreed with the conclusions of Adam Hawksbee, the former Towns Tsar that competitive bidding processes may not be useful for “places that have the lowest level of capacity or the lowest level of leadership, because …
Response attribution not verified
#169 —
Recommendation: Under the LTPT, the previous Government shifted to an allocation-based funding system in response to the criticisms of the competitive bidding process. The LTPT allocated funding to 75 towns according to levelling-up need, based on an assessment of population size, …
Response attribution not verified
#165 —
Recommendation: Local authority witnesses told the committee that having to bid for multiple pots of funding was time consuming and a strain on already limited resources. Councillor Brown stated: “It is unaffordable on a regular basis for many local authorities to …
Response attribution not verified
#155 —
Recommendation: The previous Government’s ‘funding simplification doctrine’ is a sensible approach and should be expanded to all local authorities in receipt of more than one funding stream seeking to revive high streets and town centres. This should be introduced for the …
Response attribution not verified
#154 —
Recommendation: The range of different Government programmes which provide funding to local authorities, with similar but slightly different purposes, is confusing and indicates a historic lack of policy clarity.
Response attribution not verified
#152 —
Recommendation: We heard from the new Government that they agreed with both our evidence, and the direction of travel from the previous Government, that fewer funding programmes with rationalised expectations on local government was a more appropriate approach: 304 “Our concern …
Response attribution not verified
#151 —
Recommendation: In January 2024, the then Government announced further steps to simplify funding over three stages: streamlining existing processes and simplifying funds into larger pots; establishing a new ‘funding simplification doctrine’ across Government; and then implementing reforms at the next spending …
Response attribution not verified
#149 —
Recommendation: Beyond the sheer number of programmes, many local authorities said they needed to continue to bid for multiple funding pots because the application deadlines for one funding scheme closed before they had heard the outcome of an earlier one. For …
Response attribution not verified
#148 —
Recommendation: We heard that the multiple funding programmes were uncoordinated and had overlapping objectives: “Each [programme] is a well-meant bit of public investments … but our [the new Government’s] analysis is that it is less than the sum of its parts.” …
Response attribution not verified
#8 —
Recommendation: Government programmes should also provide scaleups with a clear, comprehensible pathway of support along their growth journey. Consideration should be given to how to minimise administrative hurdles, for example by streamlining application processes for subsequent funding for companies that have …
Response attribution not verified
#17 —
Recommendation: We also explored how areas without established mayoral structures would be supported. Homes England told us that it would assess their capacity and readiness to deliver and could provide both funding and advisory support, including helping local authorities develop pipelines …
Response status not verified
#15 —
Recommendation: We questioned Homes England on how it is adapting its delivery approach to the changes in local government structures. It acknowledged that local government reorganisation is absorbing a large amount of energy and attention.35 In response, Homes England told us …
Response status not verified
#3 —
Recommendation: It will be important that the Department and Homes England have clear plans to adapt how the NHDF operates to the changes in local government structures. The shift from two-tier councils to unitary authorities, alongside the creation of Mayoral Strategic …
Response status not verified
#21 —
Recommendation: The DWP should improve its forward planning by using a systems-based approach to minimise the risk of gaps in provision and maintain continuity of support for people who need employment assistance. This includes planning programme transitions in a way that …
Response status not verified
#7 —
Recommendation: DWP should outline how it intends to strengthen its operational processes to support a smoother operation of Connect to Work, including ensuring continuity in case management, updating the tools used for reviewing documentation, and reducing delays caused by slow or …
Response status not verified
#6 —
Recommendation: Support from DWP during the launch of Connect to Work was not consistent across areas. Differences in the quality and clarity of guidance, levels of engagement from Regional Engagement Leads, and the readiness of digital systems created challenges in the …
Response status not verified
#4 —
Recommendation: The early implementation of Connect to Work presented notable challenges as delivery arrangements were established. Some local authorities reported that extensive administrative requirements at the outset slowed progress and complicated early delivery. While the programme’s model appropriately requires robust assurance …
Response status not verified
#25 —
Recommendation: We asked about the design of the scheme and why the Department had not defined the rules more tightly.43 The Department explained that the scheme has an element of prescription – the eligibility criteria and the five principles.44 At the …
Response status not verified
#67 —
Recommendation: The Government should clearly map out the framework of support in place to help finance UK scale-ups, from UK Research and Innovation grants, government procurement support, state-backed venture investment and R&D tax credits. (Recommendation, Paragraph 203) 128
Response status not verified
#63 —
Recommendation: The Government should advance the British Business Bank’s British Growth Partnership to create a UK scheme that match both the design and scale of the French Tibi system. (Recommendation, Paragraph 197)
Response status not verified
#60 —
Recommendation: The Office for Investment should develop a case management service for the UK’s 14,300 High Growth Firms to proactively ensure that High Growth Firms are supported effectively by the four public finance institutions, along with other support measures such as …
Response status not verified
#59 —
Recommendation: We repeat our recommendation that the Government consolidate the UK’s public finance institutions, especially the National Wealth Fund and the British Business Bank, into a single institution to simplify the system for business and investors seeking government support. (Recommendation, Paragraph …
Response status not verified
#58 —
Recommendation: The Office for Investment together with the new Business Growth Service should: a. ensure there is a single front door for accessing the full range of their services; b. conduct an annual survey of business to evaluate the products offered …
Response status not verified
#57 —
Recommendation: If the UK is to raise its investment rate, it is essential that the UK’s High Growth Firms are supported by a system and not forced to navigate their own way through a public finance labyrinth. The Government support arrangements …
Response status not verified
#51 —
Recommendation: The British Business Bank should strengthen its regional presence, coordinating with other initiatives such as the expansion of Post Office hubs to create a strong regional advice and banking network that businesses across the country can easily access. (Conclusion, Paragraph …
Response status not verified
#50 —
Recommendation: UK Export Finance has more than three times more financial capacity than the British Business Bank. We recommend that HM Treasury justifies the rationale for this and explains whether a re-allocation of this financial capacity to the British Business Bank …
Response status not verified
#44 —
Recommendation: We welcome the steps the Government has taken to improve the resources of the UK’s public finance institutions. The UK’s institutions are not yet big enough to meet the scale of the investment challenge. (Conclusion, Paragraph 146)
Response status not verified
#38 —
Recommendation: We repeat our recommendation that the Government should build a business support service that is fit for the long term, like the US Small Business Administration. It should combine these services with arrangements for transforming access to finance, export finance, …
Response status not verified
#8 —
Recommendation: We recommend that the Government accelerates the review announced in the Industrial Strategy of department and arm’s-length body responsibilities and completes it by the end of June 2026. This review should specifically consider how to accelerate growth by transforming business …
Response status not verified
ICIBI immigration recommendations(53)
An inspection of the immigration system as it relates to the agricultural …
3.1 Recommendation accepted 3.2 We will prepare a document setting out the roles and responsibilities of various Home Office units involved with the Seasonal Worker route. This will be completed …
An inspection of the immigration system as it relates to the agricultural …
2.1 Recommendation accepted 2.2 The department will produce a communications and engagement roadmap which will be completed by April 2023.
An inspection of the immigration system as it relates to the agricultural …
1.1 Recommendation accepted 1.2 The department intends to complete a review and it is anticipated that the review will be completed by April 2023.
An inspection of Border Force operations at south coast seaports
In relation to operational support and equipment (including, but not limited to, vehicle scanners, overhead and under-vehicle cameras, dog teams), conduct a fundamental review of the requirements of each south …
An inspection of Border Force operations at south coast seaports
Ensure that Border Force senior managers at south coast ports are clear about their annual staff budgets/allocations and the functions and deliverables (including any targets) these are expected to cover/deliver, …
An inspection of Border Force operations at south coast seaports
Conduct a zero-based review for south coast ports, taking account of passenger and goods traffic at each port and at the harbours, marinas and coastline for which each port is …
A re-inspection of Border Force operations at Coventry and Langley postal hubs
Recommendation 1(e) As a matter of urgency, review the data sharing agreement between Border Force and Royal Mail Group and ensure that it is compliant with the Data Protection Act …
A re-inspection of Border Force operations at Coventry and Langley postal hubs
Recommendation 1(c) Review whether the system in place for reporting low priority seizures is fit for purpose, as a minimum ensuring that the spreadsheets created by the hubs contain sufficient …
A re-inspection of Border Force operations at Coventry and Langley postal hubs
Recommendation 1(b) Produce a jointly owned postal hubs - Fast Parcel Joint Border Intelligence Unit (FP JBIU) plan (including pursuing job shadowing, visits, presentations and briefings) with the objective of …
A re-inspection of Border Force operations at Coventry and Langley postal hubs
Recommendation 1 (a) If the development of a solution to capturing data about refunds using the Customs Declaration System is not imminent, take alternative steps to ensure that data about …
A re-inspection of Border Force operations at Coventry and Langley postal hubs
The Home Office should: 1. Resource and complete the actions required to close the recommendations from the 2016 postal hubs inspection assessed by ICIBI as “Open” following the re-inspection, including:
An inspection of the EU Settlement Scheme
The Home Office should: 1. Clarify the consequences of the decision to remove the fee for EU Settlement Scheme applications (and loss of offsetting revenue) for the resourcing and functioning …
An inspection of the Home Office’s approach to Illegal Working
The Home Office response to the recommendations: The Home Office should: 1. Publish an updated (post-Windrush) strategy and Action Plan for tackling illegal working that clearly communicates:
An inspection of the Home Office’s approach to Illegal Working
The Home Office fully accepts all 6 of the recommendations.
Inspection of country of origin information, January 2019
3. Ensure that full account is taken of the review by UNHCR of US State Department (USSD) reports issued under the current administration when deciding what reliance to place on …
Inspection of country of origin information, January 2019
2. Indicate within future COI products where CPIT is aware of and has considered non-English language sources, but has decided that it is unnecessary to have them translated, giving the …
Inspection of country of origin information, January 2019
Reconsider its response to the May 2016 recommendation from ICIBI that it “should ensure that the Country Policy and Information Team (CPIT) is resourced to fund the translation into English …
An inspection of Border Force operations at Glasgow and Edinburgh airports
Provide an update on the evaluation of approaches to queue measurement, including progress towards standardisation, consultation with stakeholders and publication of a Service Level Agreement (the Home Office response to …
An inspection of Border Force operations at Glasgow and Edinburgh airports
In the case of Glasgow and Edinburgh Airports, ensure that the local risk registers capture all of the risks and issues identified in this inspection, including the need for: 1.4 …
An inspection of Border Force operations at Glasgow and Edinburgh airports
Review the guidance, support and challenge provided to Border Force operational managers regarding the completion of local risk registers, with the aim of ensuring a common understanding of how to …
Inspection of Country of Origin Information Report June 2019
3. Ensure that full account is taken of the review by UNHCR of US State Department (USSD) reports issued under the current administration when deciding what reliance to place on …
Inspection of Country of Origin Information Report June 2019
2. Indicate within future COI products where CPIT is aware of and has considered non-English language sources, but has decided that it is unnecessary to have them translated, giving the …
Inspection of Country of Origin Information Report June 2019
Reconsider its response to the May 2016 recommendation from ICIBI that it “should ensure that the Country Policy and Information Team (CPIT) is resourced to fund the translation into English …
An inspection of the EU Settlement Scheme (April 2019 to August 2019)
The Home Office should: 1. Clarify the consequences of the decision to remove the fee for EU Settlement Scheme applications (and loss of offsetting revenue) for the resourcing and functioning …
An inspection of family reunion applications (June – December 2019)
Home Office response to the recommendations The Home Office accepts or partially accepts all recommendations.
A short inspection of Border Force queue management at Birmingham Airport based …
Accepted – The Home Office recognises the need to have consistent methods for collecting queue measuring data. In many ports, including Birmingham, it is the airport operator who provides their …
A short inspection of Border Force queue management at Birmingham Airport based …
Partially Accepted - As the report notes, examination of customs resources was out of the scope of this inspection and ICIBI’s finding was based on a short onsite observation at …
Inspection report on Country of Origin Information, Afghanistan and China (June 2022)
3. Ensure that full account is taken of the review by UNHCR of US State Department (USSD) reports issued under the current administration when deciding what reliance to place on …
Inspection report on Country of Origin Information, Afghanistan and China (June 2022)
2. Indicate within future COI products where CPIT is aware of and has considered non-English language sources, but has decided that it is unnecessary to have them translated, giving the …
Inspection report on Country of Origin Information, Afghanistan and China (June 2022)
Reconsider its response to the May 2016 recommendation from ICIBI that it “should ensure that the Country Policy and Information Team (CPIT) is resourced to fund the translation into English …
Inspection report on Home Office country of origin information on Rwanda (January …
3. Ensure that full account is taken of the review by UNHCR of US State Department (USSD) reports issued under the current administration when deciding what reliance to place on …
Inspection report on Home Office country of origin information on Rwanda (January …
2. Indicate within future COI products where CPIT is aware of and has considered non-English language sources, but has decided that it is unnecessary to have them translated, giving the …
Inspection report on Home Office country of origin information on Rwanda (January …
Reconsider its response to the May 2016 recommendation from ICIBI that it “should ensure that the Country Policy and Information Team (CPIT) is resourced to fund the translation into English …
An inspection of asylum casework (August 2020 – May 2021)
Conduct a detailed and rapid analysis of every asylum claim awaiting an initial decision in the WIP by reviewing each decision making unit’s ‘Workflow Tracker’, focusing on identifying and removing …
An inspection of asylum casework (August 2020 – May 2021)
Introduce, as a matter of urgency, a published service standard
An inspection into the effectiveness of Border Force’s role in Project Kraken …
The Home Office should develop and finance its own social media campaign to continually raise awareness of Project Kraken.
An inspection into the effectiveness of Border Force’s role in Project Kraken …
The Home Office should develop an engagement strategy that encompasses Border Force, stakeholder, and law enforcement agency activities to raise awareness of Project Kraken and identify opportunities for smarter working …
An inspection into the effectiveness of Border Force’s role in Project Kraken …
The Home Office should develop a mechanism to track the outcomes of intelligence generated through Project Kraken and use the information to assess the effectiveness of the project and promote …
An inspection of the Home Office’s processing of family visas (September 2021 …
4. Ensure all notifications to vary leave and refusal decision letters include reasons for, and implications of, the refusal of ILR. These should be explained in plain, jargon-free English, including:
An inspection of asylum casework (June – October 2023)
Conduct a detailed and rapid analysis of every asylum claim awaiting an initial decision in the WIP by reviewing each decision making unit’s ‘Workflow Tracker’, focusing on identifying and removing …
An inspection of Border Force’s fast parcels operations (May–July 2023)
Conduct a review of Central Region resourcing to ensure it is able to fully address the threat posed by Fast Parcels.
An inspection of the use of deprivation of citizenship by the Status …
Decision making - Conduct a review of benchmarks and work allocations for Executive Officer and Senior Executive Officer caseworkers to ensure that the Deprivation Team is managing its resources and …
An inspection of the use of deprivation of citizenship by the Status …
Decision making – Implement a plan to manage the backlog of cases ‘on hold’ to ensure they are allocated and promptly case worked once ‘blockers’ are removed. Most cases are …
A spot check inspection of Border Force operations at Portsmouth International Port …
Review resourcing processes at Border Force South Central to ensure consistent deployment to all operational priorities within the region, such as port-based anti-smuggling checks at Portsmouth.
An inspection of the immigration system as it relates to the social …
Conduct a review of headcount, performance targets, and processes for each area of compliance to ensure that workflow is managed efficiently and blockages in one area do not impact on …
An inspection of the immigration system as it relates to the social …
Conduct a review of the sponsor licensing application and decision-making process in collaboration with industry leads and sector experts. Learn from the characteristics of poor licensing decisions and the resulting …
An inspection of the Home Office’s management of fee waiver applications (August …
Develop a workforce plan for in-country fee waiver applications that reflects forecasted application volumes, plus productivity and quality targets, and ensures enough trained and fully competent staff are dedicated to …
An inspection of the Border Force operation to deter and detect clandestine …
Within three months of the introduction of the new Integrated Platform Management (IPM) system, conduct a root and branch review of the Clandestine Entrant Civil Penalty Team (CECPT) working practices …
An inspection of the Home Office’s use of age assessments (July 2024 …
In relation to the National Age Assessment Board: Review the NAAB’s workforce plan and its business plan and confirm that these align, making whatever adjustments are necessary (either to agreed …
An inspection of General Maritime (October 2024 – February 2025)
The Home Office should not: Make the ‘submit a Pleasure Craft Report’ (sPCR) system mandatory, without first developing a clear plan for how Border Force would respond to a significant …
NAO audit recommendations(105)— showing 50 strongest matches
Reforming adult social care in England
As it turns its attention to charging reform alongside system reform, DHSC should publish a long-term plan mapping its reform activity and the funding it will need to achieve its planned outcomes
Rejected
Reforming adult social care in England
As it turns its attention to charging reform alongside system reform, DHSC should ensure it has the resources it will require within the Department, in terms of both capacity and capability to deliver the next stage of reform
Accepted
Supporting people to work through jobcentres
[DWP should take the following actions:] Through a comprehensive evaluation programme, build on its evidence base about the effectiveness of its support model, and set out: ? how its evaluation findings support changes to its services; and ? its plan …
Accepted
Supporting people to work through jobcentres
[DWP should take the following actions:] Strengthen accountability for, and performance management of, jobcentres, with the aim of maximising their contribution to the government?s overall ambition of an 80% employment rate, by: ? setting out the management information it will …
Accepted
Supporting people to work through jobcentres
[DWP should take the following actions:] Assess the impact of the shortfall in work coaches on jobcentres? ability to provide the intended level of support, and use the findings from this assessment to inform: ? the design of its future …
Accepted
Immigration: Skilled Worker visas
In the next six months, work with the Migration Advisory Committee, Skills England, the Industrial Strategy Council and Labour Market Advisory Board to establish an agreed methodological approach to better understand the role that immigration can play in addressing skills …
Accepted
Government's general grant schemes
To maximise the usefulness of government's grants data: (d) the Grants Management Function should work with departments to ensure that grants data are uploaded to the Government Grants Information System in a timely manner before the grants are awarded, and …
Accepted
Government's general grant schemes
To simplify the grant landscape: (c) DLUHC, working with departments, should build upon its ongoing work to consolidate grants schemes for local government, and the Grants Management Function should work with departments to consolidate grant schemes across government where appropriate …
Accepted
Government's general grant schemes
To achieve greater efficiencies in grant making, the Grants Management Function should: (a) work with departments to gain a better understanding of the reasons for the lower-than-expected take-up of Apply for a Grant, address any significant concerns, and then consider …
Accepted
Improving educational outcomes for disadvantaged children
To effectively oversee its interventions DfE should develop its understanding of the capacity and capability of schools and early years providers to understand and deliver the range of interventions.
Accepted
Implementing statutory biodiversity net gain
ensure it retains sufficient capacity and capability to deal with any challenges requiring central government leadership or response;
Accepted
The BBC’s implementation of Across the UK
b reassess how it will achieve its target of supporting 1,000 apprentices in any given year by the end of 2025 and the capacity the BBC has to recruit at such a scale. This should include reviewing how it will …
Accepted
Reforming adult social care in England
DHSC should, in the near term, set out a costed plan to the sector for implementing charging reform from October 2025, incorporating lessons learnt so far
Rejected
Support for innovation to deliver net zero
DESNZ should, by October 2023, set out who is responsible for providing stewardship and overseeing cross-government delivery in each of the seven categories within the Framework, and how it will encourage action if progress is not on track against intended …
Accepted
Government Shared Services
j) The Cabinet Office should create a pool of expert staff which can be used by clusters to provide additional capability or capacity.
Accepted
Government Shared Services
i) The Cabinet Office should stagger when clusters go out to market so that clusters do not all begin procurement at the same time. This should help to ensure capacity and capability across the programme. It should take into account …
Accepted
Regulation of private renting
e) Do more to identify and promote good practice among local authorities and support them to use it. To achieve this, the Department should work to understand the barriers local authorities face in regulating, and evaluate which tools are most …
Accepted
The Equipment Plan 2020-2030
The Head Office team should review and define its role in producing the Equipment Plan, and ensure it is capable of delivering its remit. In doing so, it should determine its role and responsibilities, in terms of providing a reliable …
Accepted
The Equipment Plan 2020-2030
The Head Office team should review and define its role in producing the Equipment Plan, and ensure it is capable of delivering its remit. In doing so, it should determine its role and responsibilities, in terms of providing a reliable …
Accepted
The Equipment Plan 2020-2030
The Head Office team should review and define its role in producing the Equipment Plan, and ensure it is capable of delivering its remit. In doing so, it should determine its role and responsibilities, in terms of providing a reliable …
Accepted
The UK’s F-35 capability
As part of its wider plans for reform, the MoD should consider what structural changes it can make to support more effective F-35 programme delivery, including: streamlining approvals regimes. In particular, the MoD should ensure that F-35 investment requests receive …
Partially accepted
The UK’s F-35 capability
As part of its wider plans for reform, the MoD should consider what structural changes it can make to support more effective F-35 programme delivery, including: simplifying lines of accountability so that, where appropriate, relevant Defence Lines of Development report …
Partially accepted
Using data analytics to tackle fraud and error
Recommendation 4: a) HM Treasury should make use of the National Fraud Initiative mandatory and agree with the Public Sector Fraud Authority (PSFA) the criteria for where public bodies should use other centrally provided tools; and b) HM Treasury and …
Accepted
Using data analytics to tackle fraud and error
Recommendation 3: The Public Sector Fraud Authority (PSFA) and HM Treasury should develop a mechanism that allows public bodies to pool some of the costs, resources and savings associated with fraud and error data analytics. This might include PSFA managing …
Accepted
Improving local areas through developer funding
In the longer term, we recommend that MHCLG should encourage a greater number of LPAs to use the CIL, by reviewing and removing barriers to introducing it for areas where it would be financially viable.
Accepted
UK Research and Innovation: providing support through grants
To help improve visibility of the government?s R&I needs and ensure they are communicated effectively, by December 2025, DSIT with UKRI should streamline the mechanisms through which the government communicates its priorities to UKRI. By the same date, they should …
Accepted
Teacher workforce: secondary and further education
DfE should develop cross-sector data and insights across schools and further education colleges, to understand career paths and the unintended impact of sector?focused initiatives, to create a cross-sector approach.
Accepted
Supporting the UK’s priority industry sectors
DBT should develop its approach to monitoring and evaluation in order to understand measures of success and learn from what works. DBT should develop a programme of evaluation of its business support, focusing on the interventions that could add the …
Accepted
Supporting the UK’s priority industry sectors
DBT should develop an evidence based decision-making process that demonstrates that it chooses sectoral interventions appropriately and understands what works, and when.
Accepted
Supporting the UK’s priority industry sectors
DBT should consider how it can collate capital and resource spending on support to business in a more useful way, and use it to inform decision making. It should consider how it can categorise this spending, such as by support …
Accepted
Supporting the UK’s priority industry sectors
DBT should be transparent about the metrics it considers, and the trade-offs it makes, when prioritising interventions. It should use this information to inform its approach to future interventions, and to prioritise intervention options, given resource constraints.
Accepted
Supporting the UK’s priority industry sectors
DBT should be transparent about the metrics it considers, and the trade-offs it makes, when prioritising interventions. It should record the outcome of these decisions and the agreed trade-offs.
Accepted
Supporting the UK’s priority industry sectors
DBT should be transparent about the metrics it considers, and the trade-offs it makes, when prioritising interventions. It should formalise and articulate clear criteria and metrics.
Accepted
Supporting the UK’s priority industry sectors
DBT should undertake work to develop its relationships with other government departments, including to learn from its more mature relationships to establish effective influencing relationships where it does not own policy levers
Accepted
Supporting the UK’s priority industry sectors
DBT should undertake work to develop its relationships with other government departments, including to establish consistent and effective ways of working.
Accepted
Supporting the UK’s priority industry sectors
DBT should undertake work to develop its relationships with other government departments, including to clarify respective roles and responsibilities on growth and in implementing the new Industrial Strategy and growth mission.
Accepted
Supporting the UK’s priority industry sectors
DBT should make best use of the learning from how it has developed its current approach to supporting industry. It should review and build on its mechanisms for engaging with industry and stakeholders and use the learning to inform the …
Accepted
Supporting the UK’s priority industry sectors
DBT should make best use of the learning from how it has developed its current approach to supporting industry. It should review and build on its existing Sector Views and Sector Action Plans to support development of the new Sector …
Accepted
Supporting the UK’s priority industry sectors
DBT should use the framework of the forthcoming Industrial Strategy to review its operating model for supporting industry sectors, build on its capability needs assessment, and enable it to adapt and prioritise its activity and resources accordingly. It should also …
Accepted
The National Space Strategy and the role of the UK Space Agency
To help build and provide confidence to the UK space sector: By June 2025, DSIT should, in preparation for and following the outcome of the spending review, assess whether there will be sufficient funding to achieve its ambitions and identified …
Accepted
The National Space Strategy and the role of the UK Space Agency
By December 2024, explore and implement the appropriate arrangements for cross-government working for the space sector. This should include clearly defining accountabilities for delivery and setting out the mechanisms for gathering information on the needs of different public bodies and …
Accepted
The National Space Strategy and the role of the UK Space Agency
To ensure effective and transparent cross-government working arrangements, DSIT with other government bodies should: By December 2024, map out the roles and responsibilities of public bodies with a role in the space sector, and publish this to provide clarity for …
Partially accepted
Implementing statutory biodiversity net gain
establish a mechanism for spending income from the sales of statutory biodiversity credits in a timely way that fulfils the government?s role as biodiversity provider of last resort; and
Accepted
Reducing the harm from illegal drugs
The JCDU and departments should work with HM Treasury to provide greater certainty on future funding for the strategy. This includes: - exploring the potential for indicative commitments over the life of the strategy; and - DHSC identifying and resolving …
Partially accepted
Reducing the harm from illegal drugs
The JCDU and departments should develop and publish a long-term plan to deliver the 10-year strategy. As part of planning for the next Spending Review, the JCDU and departments should assess how the next phase of the programme builds on …
Accepted
Reducing the harm from illegal drugs
The JCDU and departments should maximise the impact of local partnerships by developing a deeper understanding of local variations, identifying innovative practice, areas that are lagging behind others and what is needed to strengthen responses. They should also consider how …
Accepted
Reducing the harm from illegal drugs
The JCDU and departments should work with HM Treasury to agree what is achievable before the next Spending Review. They should determine how to realistically demonstrate the impact of funding in the first three years, considering the lag time before …
Accepted
Reducing the harm from illegal drugs
The JCDU should work with departments to agree its role over the remainder of the 10-year strategy to ensure that roles and responsibilities are clear and its limited resources are directed in the most effective way.
Accepted
Support for innovation to deliver net zero
The Net Zero Innovation Board should specify desired outcomes and what level of failure is tolerable for each of the challenge areas by December 2023. From then on, it should monitor and publish regular update reports against the output and …
Accepted
Support for innovation to deliver net zero
The Net Zero Innovation Board with DESNZ should, by March 2024, coordinate a review of net zero research and innovation programme funds to determine their strategic fit with the Framework, the efficiency of delivery (for example whether fewer larger funds …
Accepted
IMB individual recommendations(4)
Durham (2025)
How does HMPPS intend to ensure sustainable funding for projects such as the early days in custody worker, where time limited external funding directly impacts on prisoner outcomes?
HMPPS
Durham (2025)
How does HMPPS intend to ensure sustainable funding for projects such as the early days in custody worker, where time limited external funding directly impacts on prisoner outcomes?
HMPPS
Implemented
Bronzefield (2023)
What are the Minister’s plans to address this issue?
Ministry of Justice
Durham (2024)
Could the Minister let the Board know how many additional Tier 2 (CAS2) and Tier 3 (CAS3) bed spaces are planned for the northeast and Cumbria in 2025?
Other
In Progress
Independent reviews(50)
Youth Justice Board Review — Rec 5
The YJB should work to develop the grant conditions for allocations to youth justice services to ensure that conditions lever change, enable best practice and drive innovation. This should be shared and discussed with the relevant MOJ functions. The YJB should also clearly articulate to the department how it is …
Justice & Legal
Cantle Report — Rec 6.21
This regional body should broker funding on behalf of others utilising a common system of application and monitoring, as part of longer term regeneration agreements.
Other
Goldacre Review — Rec Open 41
Focus on sustainability for software projects: set aside a third of resource for this task Funding should work hard to identify teams and projects with broad user bases and impact, then support them to continue their work with 2-5 year funding. This should not entail unrealistic proposals for commercialisation of …
Health & Social Care
Goldacre Review — Rec Open 40
Avoid “regressive funding models” built around short-term bursts of funding There is a concerning tendency for code projects to be resourced with short-term urgent bursts (for the avoidance of doubt, outside of COVID-19) with funding arrangements that require successful applicants in extremis to spend a large amount of money very …
Health & Social Care
Nurse RDI Review — Rec 19
Government must increase its long-term commitment to invest more in RDI. In addition to reviewing incentives in public funding for university research, Government should review the balance of funding across the landscape, and explore how planned increases in RDI public funding can provide more un-hypothecated core funding for RPOs to …
Other
Nurse RDI Review — Rec 18
Government must work with UKRI and the wider RDI community to consider more stable and properly costed funding structures, aimed at ensuring the quality of the existing landscape and its sustainability.
Other
Nurse RDI Review — Rec 13
Government should use its convening power to create a favourable environment for business to invest in RDI, tackling causes identified by this Review as holding back further business investment, and where expedient, providing financial support. Examples of such support are funding which leverages private investment or promotes collaboration between industry …
Other
Nurse RDI Review — Rec 10
Government and the charitable sector should work together to ensure that ‘end-to-end’ funding is provided for research supported by philanthropy.
Other
Nurse RDI Review — Rec 4
Funding streams for PSREs need to be protected and reformed to ensure long-term sustainability. Constraints, which appear to have their origins in the Treasury, over funding, pay and other conditions of working should be reduced. The reforms of funding proposed for the universities should also be applied to PSREs.
Other
Nurse RDI Review — Rec 1
Government should take account of the true cost of ‘end-to-end’ research activity to generate a sustainable RDI endeavour. Government, working with UKRI and the UK higher education funding bodies, should review and when necessary reform competitive and response-mode grant funding, QR (and Devolved Administration equivalents), and fEC, and replace them …
Other
Carter Legal Aid Review — Rec 4.37
The Legal Services Commission should encourage growth in family provision through best value based bidding on contract sizes and length of contract by 2009, but subject to the need to maintain a variety of good quality, efficient suppliers within the family justice system.
Justice & Legal
Carter Legal Aid Review — Rec 4.35
The Legal Services Commission should ensure the fee levels they are proposing for the new public law children scheme for solicitors is sustainable within the overall legal aid budget, and consistent with maintaining a good quality supplier base.
Justice & Legal
Carter Legal Aid Review — Rec 4.34
The Legal Services Commission should replace the current public law children ex post facto scheme with a graduated fee scheme aligned with the Judicial Case Management Protocol for Care Proceedings. Other public law children work, that is not covered by the graduated fee scheme, should be kept under review by …
Justice & Legal
Carter Legal Aid Review — Rec 4.33
The move to the family help procurement scheme from April 2007, should be seen as paving the way to a graduated fee scheme for solicitors in private law family that includes the final hearing stage from autumn 2007.
Justice & Legal
Carter Legal Aid Review — Rec 4.32
The Legal Services Commission should ensure the fee levels they are proposing for private law family are sustainable within the overall legal aid budget, and consistent with maintaining a good quality supplier base.
Justice & Legal
Carter Legal Aid Review — Rec 4.31
The procurement strategy in the category of mental health should be kept under close review by the Legal Services Commission, as it will need to take account of future changes in mental health legislation, and if there is a move towards more clients being cared from at home and not …
Justice & Legal
Carter Legal Aid Review — Rec 4.29
The process of moving to indicative budget allocations by the Legal Services Commission for legal help for social welfare law through deprivation data should be managed carefully to minimise any disruption to services. As part of this process, the funding formula should enable the Legal Services Commission to decide in …
Justice & Legal
Carter Legal Aid Review — Rec 4.28
Bids by suppliers to work in community legal advice networks should refer to arrangements they have together agreed for co-operation with other bidders, so that it can build on existing informal networks. This could include proposed co-location and active referral arrangements. Bidders should also be asked by the Legal Services …
Justice & Legal
Carter Legal Aid Review — Rec 4.25
Wherever possible, the Legal Services Commission should ensure that the dynamics, between the fixed fee for civil legal help and the payments for civil court work, act to reward early settlements where it is appropriate. The Legal Services Commission needs to look at this in more detail, and whether this …
Justice & Legal
Carter Legal Aid Review — Rec 4.24
The Legal Services Commission should ensure the fixed fees for legal help with which they propose to replace tailored fixed fees in civil categories of law are sustainable within the overall legal aid budget, and consistent with maintaining a good quality supplier base.
Justice & Legal
Carter Legal Aid Review — Rec 4.18
The Legal Services Commission should establish a best value tendered panel for very high cost criminal cases based on the steps sets out in paragraphs 80 to 89 of Chapter 4. Prior to doing so the issues set out in paragraph 90 of Chapter 4 should be consulted on with …
Justice & Legal
Carter Legal Aid Review — Rec 4.17
There should be a new specialist panel of suppliers to conduct very high cost criminal cases. In advance of inviting applications and bids from potential teams the Legal Services Commission should issue by April 2007 an expression of interest document detailing the criteria for membership of the new panel. This …
Justice & Legal
Carter Legal Aid Review — Rec 4.16
DCA and the Legal Services Commission should consider harmonising the separate litigation and advocacy graduated fee schemes in to a single graduated fee for all defence services in the Crown Court, for implementation as soon as possible after 2009, when the market has stabilised and legal services reforms allow for …
Justice & Legal
Carter Legal Aid Review — Rec 4.15
The Legal Services Commission should introduce a new graduated fee scheme for litigators in the Crown Court. The Legal Services Commission, during consultation and prior to implementation in April 2007, should ensure that the fees set out in Annex 4.6: • contain uplifts that appropriately reflect and remunerate differences in …
Justice & Legal
Carter Legal Aid Review — Rec 4.13
DCA and the Legal Services Commission should introduce a revised advocacy graduated fee scheme for Crown Court work (as described in paragraphs 46 to 55 of Chapter 4 and the tables in Annex 4.5) that increases base fees, introduces two new offence types, reduces the
Justice & Legal
Carter Legal Aid Review — Rec 4.10
Alongside the introduction of a new graduated fee scheme for magistrates’ courts work in April 2008, DCA and the Legal Services Commission should review the issue of assigned counsel in magistrates’ courts by April 2007 and should consider the following alternatives: • counsel to be paid the basic fixed fee …
Justice & Legal
Carter Legal Aid Review — Rec 4.6
By January 2007, the Legal Services Commission should develop a methodology for allocating work under the new working arrangements, based on a mimimum threshold that varies according to area and market conditions as described in paragraphs 29 to 35 of Chapter 4 allowing for duty slots within boundary areas, a …
Justice & Legal
Carter Legal Aid Review — Rec 4.4
The Legal Services Commission should construct new General Criminal Contract working arrangements providing for access to own solicitor within and outside of contract areas and duty solicitor slots by January 2007 as set out in paragraphs 20 to 28 of Chapter 4. The new working arrangements should then be published …
Justice & Legal
Carter Legal Aid Review — Rec 4.2
The Legal Services Commission should put in place a series of measures that mitigate market fragmentation and allow firms to begin the process of restructuring. The Legal Services Commission should consider the following measures: • reduce duty solicitor service requirements for duty solicitor work so that it is in line …
Justice & Legal
Carter Legal Aid Review — Rec 4.1
The Legal Services Commission should construct new General Criminal Contract boundary areas as set out in paragraphs 4 to 9 of Chapter 4 and Annex 4.1, for all of England and Wales by January 2007. This should be based on detailed maps and data covering existing police stations and duty …
Justice & Legal
Carter Legal Aid Review — Rec 3.7
It is important that the Commission enable community legal advice networks to be developed in a pragmatic and flexible fashion that makes sense locally, as in some areas there could be informal networks that already exist and might be built upon, whereas elsewhere the networks would be a fresh development. …
Justice & Legal
Carter Legal Aid Review — Rec 3.5
It is important that there is not one model for community legal advice centres, and the Legal Services Commission allows centres to develop in a pragmatic and flexible fashion that best suits their potential clients in the area where they are located (including sub-contracting service delivery where necessary).
Justice & Legal
Carter Legal Aid Review — Rec 3.4
The Legal Services Commission should explore the possibility of firms and not for profit agencies expanding into other categories of civil and family law. Depending on the area and the nature of the service, suppliers should be encouraged to develop services across a wider area of categories of civil and …
Justice & Legal
Carter Legal Aid Review — Rec 3.3
The Legal Services Commission should consider whether and how a small number of criminal defence practitioners could continue to provide niche services when the new General Criminal Contract arrangements are implemented in October 2007. Consideration should be given to how sub-contacting arrangements can be developed for referrals from firms who …
Justice & Legal
Tickell Research Bureaucracy Review — Rec 9
Funders should remove the requirement for letters of support from applications in most circumstances.
Other
Tickell Research Bureaucracy Review — Rec 6
Funders should work together to increase standardisation across their application processes in terms of the use of language and the questions they ask where appropriate. UKRI should facilitate this across Research Councils in the first instance.
Other
Tickell Research Bureaucracy Review — Rec 5
Funders should experiment with application processes to reduce burdens for applicants, (including two-stage application processes) where the information required increases in line with the likelihood of being funded.
Other
Crick Report — Rec 5.10.4
We recommend that a fund be established either in the DfEE or QCA to which the kind of bodies mentioned in section 5.10.2 may apply for funding to prepare guidance and resource materials for the whole or part of the citizenship curriculum. In every case the funding body shall make …
Education
Barker Housing Supply Review — Rec 25
Government should consider the extension of the contaminated land tax credit and grant scheme to land that has lain derelict for a certain period of time. This should be done on the basis that extra public money levered into the market through such a scheme would encourage genuine new investment …
Other
Barker Housing Supply Review — Rec 22
A Community Infrastructure Fund (CIF) of £100-200 million should be established within ODPM. Regions should be encouraged to submit bids for support towards the up-front costs of medium-sized utilities and transport infrastructure schemes, which would bring forward otherwise unviable development. Bids for support towards gap funding schemes, such as the …
Other
Barker Housing Supply Review — Rec 15
Government should assess whether consideration of appeals levels in the distribution of Planning Delivery Grant (PDG) could help correct the potential perverse incentive for local planning authorities to reject planning applications in order to meet their performance targets. In future, the PDG should take greater account of outcomes, as well …
Other
Nurse Research Councils Review — Rec 5
Collaborative working with business and Innovate UK to simplify the customer interface of the research and innovation funding landscape can be strengthened through: Greater engagement of business; Simplification of schemes and processes; Improved handling of multi- and inter-disciplinary research, and improved selection of peer reviewers with business awareness for applications …
Other
Tickell Research Bureaucracy Review — Rec 12
Wherever possible, funders should build in flexibilities including no cost extensions within manageable parameters to reduce delays in addressing project changes and the number of queries funders receive.
Other
Tickell Research Bureaucracy Review — Rec 7
Funders should review what adaptations will be needed to assessment processes to take account of changes to application models. This should include the information necessary for national security assessments alongside innovative approaches from the use of peer reviewer triage to limit the number of applications requiring full peer review to …
Other
Cantle Report — Rec 6.20
Central Government and its agencies should relate funding to mainstream resources by developing ‘Regeneration PSAs’ negotiated through one regional body, (presumably Government Offices or a stronger RCU) which can develop longer term approaches with less reliance on initiatives, embracing all partner bodies.
Other
Roberts Review (STEM) — Rec 2.12
The profusion of independent schemes aimed at enthusing and educating pupils in science and engineering (for example, the Industrial Trust Scheme and CREST), and the lack of support that schools and teachers have in identifying those most suited to their pupils, is inhibiting the collective effect of these schemes. The …
Education
Heseltine Growth Review — Rec 3
Government should streamline its management of EU Common Strategic Framework funds in England, strip out the bureaucracy of multiple programmes and align local allocations from the four funds with the single funding pot.
Other
Dearing Higher Education Review — Rec 72
We recommend to the Government that it shifts the balance of funding, in a planned way, away from block grant towards a system in which funding follows the student, assessing the impact of each successive shift on institutional behaviour and the control of public expenditure, with a target of distributing …
Education
Narey Review of Children's Residential Care — Rec 3
I suggest that the Innovation Programme at the Department for Education might be used to ease entry to the English market for new or expanding voluntary sector providers.
Other
Selous Review — Rec 13
The Ministry of Defence to consider whether offering additional incentives in remote areas would encourage home-ownership in the future.
Other
PHSO casework decisions(32)
P-001492 — HM Revenue and Customs
Mrs P complained HMRC refused her SEISS application due to a late tax return caused by ill health and wrongly advised her she could appeal the decision.
UK Government
Aug 2022
P-001564 — HM Revenue and Customs
HMRC did not adequately inform employers about the 31 July 2020 deadline for CJRS applications, causing Mr R's company to miss a £290,823 payment and experience financial hardship.
UK Government
Oct 2022
P-001992 — Department for Education
Mrs G complained the Department for Education (DfE) rejected her apprenticeship funding application as out of time due to an unannounced process change, causing her a £4,000 loss.
UK Government
May 2023
P-004380 — Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem)
Mr L complained Ofgem wrongly rejected his Boiler Upgrade Scheme application and provided incorrect reasons in its complaint response, forcing him to self-fund air source heat pumps.
UK Government
Dec 2025
P-004680 — Department for Work and Pensions
Mr A complained DWP failed to provide him with an appropriate carpentry course for employment and delayed communicating its decision and progressing his complaint.
UK Government
Jan 2026
P-001474 — Office of Gas and Electricity Markets
Mr A complained OFGEM unfairly applied guidance on the Feed-in Tariff scheme closure, issuing clarification too late. This resulted in him losing entitled annual payments.
UK Government
Jul 2022
P-001658 — Department for Work and Pensions
DWP mismanaged her Access to Work application, giving incorrect advice about equipment and causing a long delay in providing a suitable chair, leading to lost income and mental health issues.
UK Government
Dec 2022
P-001916 — Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
Ms E complained DBEIS delayed changing her Green Homes Grant Scheme vouchers and wrongly rejected her changes due to a perceived late application, causing her to miss out on financial support.
UK Government
Mar 2023
P-003861 — Office of Gas and Electricity Markets
Mrs O complained that Ofgem wrongly rejected a company's Tariff Guarantee application for the NDRHI scheme, leading to substantial lost payments.
UK Government
Sep 2023
P-004598 — Department for Education
Request for the first Early Career Payment was declined by the Department for Education for 2021-2022. Communication and notifications about the claiming process were also inadequate.
UK Government
Dec 2025
P-001277 — UK Research and Innovation
Mr B complained Innovate UK failed to properly assess his grant funding application. He also alleged UK Research and Innovation did not address his comments during the complaint process.
UK Government
Jan 2022
P-001307 — Rural Payments Agency
Mr E complained the RPA excessively delayed explaining why his 2015 and 2016 Basic Payment Scheme applications were unsuccessful, prejudicing future applications.
UK Government
Feb 2022
P-001412 — Rural Payments Agency
Mr and Mrs D complained RPA failed to remove BPS entitlements, leading to mistaken overpayments and unfair recovery decisions. They also criticised RPA's poor complaint handling.
UK Government
Upheld
Jun 2022
P-002003 — HM Courts and Tribunals Service
Mrs G complained HMCTS improperly granted 'Help With Fees' to a third party without considering her evidence, and about poor complaint handling and communication.
UK Government
May 2023
P-002458 — Rural Payments Agency
Mrs D complained the RPA prevented her brother from submitting a claim on time, gave conflicting information, incorrectly continued payments, and unfairly sought to recover a payment, causing financial loss.
UK Government
Feb 2024
P-003052 — UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI)
Mr B complained about UKVI's excessive delay in completing an Administrative Review of his visa application, which impacted his employment, MBA, travel, and caused financial and emotional stress.
UK Government
Oct 2024
P-003339 — Student Loans Company (SLC)
Mr A complained the Student Loans Company requested financial information for a 2016 grant in 2023, which his stepfather could no longer provide due to the delay, making repayment likely.
UK Government
Feb 2025
P-001671 — Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
Mrs O complained BEIS unfairly refused to extend her Green Homes Grant voucher, preventing a heat pump installation and causing distress.
UK Government
Dec 2022
P-001855 — Rural Payments Agency
Mr K complained about incorrect advice from Natural England leading to ineligible land claims and overpayments. He also cited a poorly conducted inspection and delays by the RPA in resolving issues.
UK Government
Upheld
Mar 2023
P-002020 — HM Revenue and Customs
HMRC wrongly denied Mr R a SEISS grant due to a genuine error on his tax return, causing financial hardship.
UK Government
Jun 2023
P-002261 — Rural Payments Agency
Mr S complained the RPA website's poor user experience and lack of submission confirmation led to his Countryside Stewardship claim failing, costing him significant revenue.
UK Government
Oct 2023
P-002367 — Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
A complainant alleged poor administration, communication, and conflicting advice from DESNZ led to repeated rejections of a Green Homes Grant Voucher application for window replacement.
UK Government
Dec 2023
P-002423 — Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
Mr O complained BEIS unfairly refused his underfloor insulation grant application despite comparable cases, and delayed the decision for five months, causing financial and emotional distress.
UK Government
Not Upheld
Jan 2024
P-002396 — Student Loans Company (SLC)
Ms X complained SLC was unclear about application forms, delayed funding approval, and incorrectly overpaid then recovered a maintenance loan. She alleged these issues caused her significant anxiety and mental health decline.
UK Government
Jan 2024
P-002511 — UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI)
Mrs H complained about UKVI's over year-long delay in deciding her EUSS application, causing stress and preventing travel for her disabled daughter's medical needs and to see elderly parents.
UK Government
Partly Upheld
Mar 2024
P-002845 — Department for Work and Pensions
A complainant alleged CMS experienced delays in calculating maintenance payments and variations, provided conflicting information, and communicated poorly regarding arrears and repayment rates.
UK Government
Aug 2024
P-002352 — Devon Clinical Commissioning Group
Mrs O complained the CCG gave wrong advice about surgical correction for pectus excavatum, leading to a declined funding application and them paying for the operation privately. This negatively affected Mr R's mental health.
NHS in England
Partly Upheld
Dec 2023
P-001470 — HM Passport Office
Mr O complained HMPO failed to follow procedure when he reported his passport lost and did not properly answer his complaint, causing stress about missing a trip and wasted time.
UK Government
Jul 2022
P-001687 — Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency
The DVLA repeatedly refused to allow Mr A to register his V5C at his business address, requested inappropriate evidence, failed to provide legislation, and showed bias due to his autism, causing stress and financial loss.
UK Government
Oct 2022
P-001600 — HM Passport Office
HM Passport Office failed to notify Mrs P her passport was no longer valid, causing her humiliation, distress, and loss of holiday costs at the airport.
UK Government
Nov 2022
P-001800 — HM Passport Office
Mr A complained about HMPO's significant delay in issuing his daughter's passport, blaming him for delays and falsely attributing issues to overseas verification checks.
UK Government
Not Upheld
Feb 2023
P-001921 — Independent Assessment Services
Ms O complained IAS took too long to assess her for PIP, causing significant financial hardship, debt, and emotional distress due to delayed payments.
UK Government
Upheld
Mar 2023
LGO / SPSO decisions(148)
21-004-809 — Cheshire East Council
Summary: Although the complainant missed out on a COVID-19 business support grant it appears he was eligible for, this was not due to fault by the Council. We have therefore completed our investigation.
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Not Upheld
Jan 2022
21-003-574 — Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea
Summary: Mr X complained the Council wrongly refused his business a grant, causing financial difficulties. We find no fault in the Council’s decision making.
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Not Upheld
Jan 2022
21-008-940 — Harlow District Council
Summary: Mrs X complained the Council refused her businesses grants, did not address her complaint properly and reported inaccurately on finances. We did not investigate the Council’s reporting as there is a more appropriate body. We found fault in the Council’s communications with Mrs X that did not affect its …
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Upheld
Mar 2022
21-008-400 — North Northamptonshire Council
Summary: There was no fault in how the Council considered the complainant’s application for a discretionary COVID-19 business restart grant. The Council was at fault because it did not explore the complainant’s requests for reasonable adjustments, but this did not cause him an injustice. It is not the Council’s fault …
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Upheld
Mar 2022
21-007-544 — Cannock Chase District Council
Summary: Mr X complained about the Council’s handling of his request for an Additional Restrictions Grant, causing him financial loss, distress and wasted time. We found fault in the Council’s communications causing injustice. We recommended the Council apologise to Mr X, consider a late grant application and take action to …
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Upheld
Apr 2022
22-000-812 — St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of a grant funding scheme. This is because the complaint does not meet the tests in our Assessment Code on how we decide which complaints to investigate. There is there is not enough evidence of fault in the way …
LGO (Local Government & …
Planning
May 2022
21-014-448 — Ipswich Borough Council
Summary: Mr X complained the Council was wrong to refuse Mrs Y a business grant, causing her financial difficulties and distress. We found the Council at fault in its communications with Mrs Y.
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Upheld
Jul 2022
24-011-415 — North Northamptonshire Council
Summary: Miss X complained that the Council acted unfairly when it decided not to award free school transport to her children. The Council was at fault. The Council did not carry out its assessment properly. The Council should apologise to Miss X and review its internal procedures.
LGO (Local Government & …
Education
Upheld
Jun 2025
201403458 — Glasgow City Council
Mr C complained about the service he received from Business Gateway in relation to applications for grants for his new business. He said that he was encouraged to apply for grants but, when his applications were unsuccessful, staff did not respond reasonably to his requests for further information and assistance. …
SPSO (Scottish Public Se…
Local Government
Partly Upheld
Dec 2015
25-003-069 — Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames
Summary: We found fault with the Council taking 18 months too long to complete the works for Ms X’s Disability Facilities Grant application. The Council agreed to apologise to Ms X and pay her £3,750 for the avoidable distress, difficulty and uncertainty it caused.
LGO (Local Government & …
Adult Care Services
Upheld
Jan 2026
25-001-048 — Salford City Council
Summary: Miss X complains the Council did not provide the necessary adaptations to her property to assist her to care for her teenage daughter, who is severely disabled. She complains the matter has been stressful. We found the Council failed to take and communicate decisions in a timely way, and …
LGO (Local Government & …
Adult Care Services
Upheld
Feb 2026
24-017-850 — Birmingham City Council
Summary: Ms X complained about the quality of works carried out by Council approved contractors under a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG). There was no fault in how the Council carried out the works. The Council was at fault for a delay in responding to Ms X’s complaint about the works. …
LGO (Local Government & …
Adult Care Services
Upheld
Feb 2026
21-003-577 — Durham County Council
Summary: Miss X complained the Council refused her application for discretionary housing payment. There was fault in the Council’s actions in the way it considered Miss X’s application, but this did not lead to an injustice. The Council also failed to refer Miss X to the welfare benefit team which …
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Upheld
Jan 2022
21-007-953 — Huntingdonshire District Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s refusal of an application for a self-isolation payment. There is no evidence of fault by the Council.
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Jan 2022
21-002-312 — Lancaster City Council
Summary: Ms X complained the Council wrongly refused her business a COVID-19 business grant, causing financial difficulties. There is no fault in how the Council determined Ms X’s application.
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Not Upheld
Jan 2022
21-006-778 — Northumberland County Council
Summary: The Council was at fault when it incorrectly advised Mr X about the type of licence needed for his new business. The Council has agreed to pay Mr X £300 in recognition of avoidable frustration and raised expectations caused by this fault. The Council has also agreed to our …
LGO (Local Government & …
Environment And Regulation
Upheld
Feb 2022
21-010-238 — City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council
Summary: We have discontinued our investigation about the Council’s decision to refuse the complainant’s business rates relief under the expanded retail discount scheme, and a grant under the retail, hospitality and leisure scheme, because his complaint is late. There was no fault in the Council’s decision the business is not …
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Not Upheld
Mar 2022
21-000-966 — Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council
Summary: We upheld part of Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s funding for a disabled facilities grant to adapt his home for his son. The Council failed to consider whether it should pay a discretionary grant towards the work. This created uncertainty for Mr X about whether more funding should …
LGO (Local Government & …
Adult Care Services
Upheld
Mar 2022
21-007-499 — Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council
Summary: Mr X complained the Council wrongly refused COVID-19 business grants and gave him incorrect advice. The Council initially refused a Restart grant for an incorrect reason but this fault did not cause Mr X an injustice because it reconsidered the application when he challenged its original decision.
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Upheld
Apr 2022
21-010-905 — Dacorum Borough Council
Summary: There was no administrative fault in the Council’s decision not to include children’s soft play centres in one of its COVID-19 business support schemes. Although the complainant opposes this decision, this does not give us grounds to uphold her complaint. We have therefore completed our investigation.
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Not Upheld
Apr 2022
22-000-405 — London Borough of Islington
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of an application for a COVID-19-related business grant. There is not enough evidence of fault by the Council.
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
May 2022
21-004-926 — Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council
Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s decision not to award him a COVID-19 business grant. While one reason for its refusal appears flawed we cannot question the Council’s decision that Mr X did not meet the criteria for the grant. Any fault did not therefore …
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
May 2022
21-006-194 — Leicester City Council
Summary: Mrs B needed adaptations to her house to enable her to use the bathroom. The Council has not shown that it considered all the factors when it chose between two different proposals for the works and this was fault. It is therefore not certain whether the decision was correctly …
LGO (Local Government & …
Adult Care Services
Upheld
Jun 2022
21-015-824 — London Borough of Haringey
Summary: Mr X complained the Council delayed deciding on his eligibility for business rates’ relief resulting in his missing out on a business grant. We found fault in the Council’s actions causing Mr X injustice. We recommended the Council apologise to Mr X, pay him £300 for time and trouble, …
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Upheld
Jun 2022
21-014-404 — London Borough of Waltham Forest
Summary: Mr X complained that Council delays meant he missed out on a COVID-19 business grant. The Council was at fault for delays in dealing with the business rates registration, for which it has apologised. The Council has also paid a sum equivalent to the grant Mr X missed out …
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Upheld
Jun 2022
21-014-539 — Ipswich Borough Council
Summary: Mr X complained the Council was wrong to refuse Mr Y a business grant, causing him financial difficulties and distress. We found the Council at fault in its communications. We recommended the Council provide an apology to Mr Y, make payments for distress, time and trouble, and revisit its …
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Upheld
Jul 2022
22-002-879 — City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council
Summary: Mrs X complained the Council delayed in sending her application for Attendance Allowance to the Department for Work and Pensions. The Council was at fault for a six week delay. This meant Mrs X received her benefit later than she reasonably could have done. The Council has already apologised …
LGO (Local Government & …
Adult Care Services
Upheld
Sep 2022
22-000-387 — Leicester City Council
Summary: Mr X complained the Council wrongly refused to pay him a Small Business Grant causing financial difficulties. We found no fault in the Council’s decision making that affected the outcome, but we found fault in its communications. We recommended the Council provide an apology to Mr X, pay him …
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Upheld
Sep 2022
22-010-586 — Kent County Council
Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s administration of its Household Support Fund. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault affecting Mr X and it is unlikely investigation would achieve any worthwhile outcome for him.
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Nov 2022
22-007-624 — Redcar & Cleveland Council
Summary: Mr X complained the Council refused him the Local Restrictions Support Grant causing distress. We found fault in the Council’s decision making. We recommended the Council apologise, pay Mr X for time and trouble and remake its decision.
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Upheld
Dec 2022
23-018-477 — London Borough of Camden
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint the Council did not complete a grant application. That is because the complaint is late. In any event, further investigation would not lead to a different outcome.
LGO (Local Government & …
Adult Care Services
Apr 2024
23-012-847 — London Borough of Haringey
Summary: Miss Y complains about problems during the build of a Disabled Facilities Grant to adapt her house to meet the needs of her children. The Council has already acknowledged and accepted that some aspects of the workmanship was poor, and that Miss Y and her family experienced an unusual …
LGO (Local Government & …
Adult Care Services
Upheld
Jun 2024
23-012-820 — North Yorkshire Council
Summary: The Council asked Ms X to pay back several hundred pounds from her daughter’s person budget, as it says Ms X could not evidence how all the money was used. Ms X repaid this money to the Council but complained to the Ombudsman. The Council’s communication with Ms X …
LGO (Local Government & …
Education
Upheld
Jul 2024
23-017-079 — Staffordshire County Council
Summary: Ms X complained the Council treated her mother’s, Ms Y’s, purchase of a car as a deprivation of assets when completing a financial assessment. The Council is at fault for attaching weight to the V5 certificate which it says shows legal ownership of the vehicle.
LGO (Local Government & …
Adult Care Services
Upheld
Aug 2024
23-013-959 — Transport for London
Summary: Mr X complained about the way Transport for London (TfL) dealt with his application for a grant under its car scrappage scheme. We have not found fault by TfL in the way it decided to reject Mr X’s application. But we have found fault by TfL in failing to …
LGO (Local Government & …
Transport And Highways
Upheld
Aug 2024
23-021-225 — Birmingham City Council
Summary: We found fault in the way the Council carried out the Personal Budget process for the complainant’s (Miss X) son (Y). This fault, however, did not cause significant injustice to Miss X or Y. The Council has agreed to carry out some service improvements in the way it considers …
LGO (Local Government & …
Education
Upheld
Aug 2024
24-004-588 — Worcestershire County Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about delay in the Council issuing a personal budget payment for Mr X’s child. This complaint does not meet the tests in our Assessment Code. The Council has already apologised and explained what will do to improve. Further investigation by us could not …
LGO (Local Government & …
Education
Upheld
Aug 2024
24-018-264 — Nottinghamshire County Council
Summary: We will not exercise discretion to investigate this complaint about the installation of external insulation under a government grant scheme. This complaint which was received outside the normal 12-month period for investigating complaints. There is no evidence to suggest that Mrs X could not have complained to us sooner.
LGO (Local Government & …
Housing
Mar 2025
24-016-943 — Norwich City Council
Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about the Council’s decision in relation to her request for major adaptations to her home via a Disabled Facilities Grant. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council to warrant an investigation.
LGO (Local Government & …
Adult Care Services
Apr 2025
25-004-631 — Cornwall Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the assessment and management of Mr X’s Town Deal grant application. The law does not allow us to investigate the complaint against the Town Deal board. The complaint against the Council is late and there is no good reason to investigate it …
LGO (Local Government & …
Other Categories
Aug 2025
25-004-960 — City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about Mrs X’s disagreement with the Council over adaptations to her home under the Disabled Facilities Grant scheme. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating.
LGO (Local Government & …
Adult Care Services
Sep 2025
25-005-473 — North East Lincolnshire Council
Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint that a contractor switched off his solar panels when carrying out works to his property and about the Council’s delay in responding to his complaint. This is because it is unlikely a further investigation by this office could add to the response …
LGO (Local Government & …
Adult Care Services
Sep 2025
25-015-696 — South Ribble Borough Council
Summary: We cannot investigate this complaint about how the Council awarded a grant from public funds as this impacts all or most of the people in the Council’s area and as such, is outside our remit.
LGO (Local Government & …
Other Categories
Nov 2025
24-003-327 — Transport for London
Summary: Ms A complained about the way Transport for London has dealt with her application under its scrappage scheme. She said Transport for London has repeatedly rejected her application with no good reason. We found Transport for London at fault for the way it handled Ms A’s application. It has …
LGO (Local Government & …
Transport And Highways
Upheld
Nov 2024
PSOW-202305989 — Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board
An Advocate complained on behalf of Mrs A regarding the care that her daughter, Ms B, received from Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board (“the First Health Board”) and another health board (“the Second Health Board”) in 2022. Specifically, Mrs A complained about the manner in which the funding request …
PSOW (Public Services Om…
Health
Upheld
Mar 2025
PSOW-202307570 — Cardiff and Vale University Health Board
An Advocate complained on behalf of Mrs A regarding the care that her daughter, Ms B, received from another health board (“the First Health Board”) and Cardiff and Vale University Health Board (“the Second Health Board”) in 2022. Specifically, Mrs A complained about the Second Health Board’s communication with her …
PSOW (Public Services Om…
Health
Not Upheld
Mar 2025
21-006-516 — City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council
Summary: Mr X complained the Council refused all applications for COVID-19 business support grants from January 2021 onwards causing financial difficulties. Since making his complaint to the Ombudsman, the Council has made a payment to Mr X under a later stage of the Additional Restrictions Grant. There is no evidence …
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Not Upheld
Feb 2022
21-015-794 — Stoke-on-Trent City Council
Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s decision to refuse his application for a small business grant. This is because the complaint is late and there is not enough evidence of fault by the Council.
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Mar 2022
21-004-717 — Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council
Summary: Mrs X complained the Council wrongly refused COVID-19 business grants, causing financial hardship. There was fault in the way the Council considered whether the business was a restaurant or takeaway. It also failed to consider whether the fact the business operated from a food court meant it was eligible …
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
Upheld
Mar 2022
22-000-202 — Redcar & Cleveland Council
Mr X complains that the Council will not award a grant to his business. We will not investigate this complaint because there is no evidence of fault by the Council.
LGO (Local Government & …
Benefits And Tax
May 2022
Domestic Homicide Reviews(3)
Hillingdon — recommendation 4.5.4
SHP to undertake a needs assessment and review of existing domestic abuse specialist support services (including the management of IDVA), and develop a comprehensive commissioning strategy that meets the needs of both victims and perpetrators and includes a focus on prevention and early intervention.
Safer Hillingdon Partnership (SHP)
Kingston upon Thames — recommendation 42
Undertake a review of the one stop shop including a focus on its capacity and resources to ensure that those who present at the service are offered ongoing support if required.
One Stop Shop Partners
Middlesbrough — recommendation 1
Review the evaluation of the two-year pilot of IRISi in Middlesbrough and write to the Integrated Health Board and Cleveland Violence Reduction Unit to make them aware of the benefits of the pilot, improved outcomes, and the risks in relation to sustainability of IRISi without collaborative commissioning, long term investment, …
Middlesbrough Community Safety Partnership