Formal Complaint to Local Authority
Use this letter to make a formal complaint if the LA has failed to meet statutory deadlines or follow proper procedures. Step 1 is the LA's own complaints procedure; once it is exhausted you can escalate to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO).
What this letter is for
- A formal complaint is a way to tell the LA it has not done something it should have, for example not arranging an assessment or report you reasonably asked for, or missing a deadline.
- Start by writing to the LA. Its own complaints process comes first. It usually works in stages: stage 1 is a response from the service, and stage 2 is a review of that response by someone more senior. Check your LA's complaints page for its exact steps and timescales.
- If you are not happy once the LA's process has finished, you can take the complaint to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO), which is free and independent of the LA.
- If the LA offers something to put things right early on, you can accept it. Accepting an early offer does not stop you taking the complaint further if the problem is not fixed.
- A complaint is separate from an appeal to the Tribunal and does not usually pause Tribunal time limits. This page is general information, not legal advice.
Further reading
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This template references: Children and Families Act 2014, various sections, SEND Regulations 2014, SEND Code of Practice 2015, Chapter 11, Local Government Act 1974 (LGSCO). Always check that legislation is current before relying on it.
Independent template. See IPSEA's authoritative Template letter 5: Complaining to the Local Authority for comparison. Always check that legislation is current before relying on it.