THE COUNCIL made more errors in its decision-making than all of its neighbours last year, according to a local government watchdog.

A letter published by the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) in July 2020 shows the watchdog upheld five complaints against Bracknell Forest Council from the six investigations it conducted.

This means the council made ‘faults’ in 83 per cent of the decisions investigated — a higher rate than all of its statistical neighbours.

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However, the LGO, which investigates complaints relating to planning, social care, benefits, children’s services and housing made against local authorities, investigated Bracknell Forest Council the joint-least amount of times among its statistical neighbours.

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But council officers hit back at the watchdog’s 2019/2020 findings, which are due to be discussed at a meeting of the council’s top team next week.

A BFC report read: “The summaries illustrate that the LGO has adopted a much more binary approach in recent years when it comes to finding ‘fault’.

“For example, in one case the LGSCO has found in the council’s favour on all substantive points within a detailed eighteen-page complaint, but then found ‘fault’ on one minor technicality even though he also concludes that the minor fault caused no injustice.

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“Such findings before the last two or three years were unlikely to be classified as fault and so the current approach continues a trend that we have drawn to the LGO’s attention in recent years albeit with little acknowledgement.”

The five complaints upheld against the council included:

  • A complaint from a mother who took issue with the council’s handling of her son’s education and health care plans
  • A complaint from a couple who were aggrieved by ‘failures’ to accommodate their special needs grandson.

A note contained within BFC’s report on the findings added: “the executive is reminded that Bracknell Forest Council takes all complaints seriously and looks to resolve complaints at stage 1 or 2 of the complaints process wherever possible to prevent them escalating any further.

“It is also worth remembering that these six investigations are the only ones that have arisen from the many thousands of interactions between the Council and residents throughout the year.”

The findings are due to be discussed at a meeting of the executive on Tuesday, January 26.