Councillor Clare Welsby is the group leader of Ealing Green Party. She writes about why the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman’s Annual Review of Local Government Complaints 2025-2026 should prompt Ealing Council to rethink the way it responds to residents’ concerns.
“The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman’s annual report came out last week (15 July 2026).
“In this report, Ombudsman, Amerdeep Clarke said “the figures reflect not just individual service failures, but a broader and deepening crisis of public confidence – a pattern visible across all UK public sector Ombudsman bodies”.
“Mrs Clarke added that: “A 33% rise in complaints [in English Authorities] is not a statistical blip. It is a signal. When people cannot get the help they need, and feel they have no other recourse, they come to us. That so many are doing so tells us something important: there is a serious and growing gap between what residents expect and what they are receiving from their local authorities”
“In Ealing speaking to residents when campaigning and then as a group of five newly elected councillors hearing from residents about their concerns and frustrations; it seems that the vision projected by the Ealing Labour led council and the reality for many, many residents doesn’t match. The council should be confident enough to take on challenges about the decisions they have made when residents and evidence suggest something different would be better.
“Residents understand that councils do not have sufficient funding, but they also recognise that investing in problems early saves money in the medium and longer term and improves lives. They may say they do this, but do they?
“Whilst recognising the pressures on staff working hard to do their jobs well, the experience of many residents’ is one of frustration and disengagement we hear that they are met with rule bound and inflexible decisions and an apparent lack of understanding of the residents’ legitimate concerns.
“Residents are told – if you are not happy with the outcome, you can make complaint, and if this does not resolve the matter you can take it to the Ombudsman or a tribunal or in some cases residents resort to a Judicial Review.
“Ealing Council has a good record of taking on the Ombudsman’s recommendations albeit with only 53% complied with, within the required timescales. Why wait until told to do so by the Ombudsman, to act. Waiting that incurs additional cost the Council can ill afford and alienates residents.
“Could the council, with the application of some imagination, creativity and at times some discretion, invest their energy into finding solutions to meet need and provide services at the outset so there was no or less need to resort to the Ombudsman?
“Perhaps as the Ombudsman suggest this needs a new way of thinking.
“With Green voices in Ealing Council for the first time, we can support this reflection by holding up a mirror to what has been happening and begin to effect some change and rebuild some confidence in the community.”
