In seeking to investigate complaints and, where appropriate, provide redress for members of the public, the day-to-day work of the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) is increasingly concerned with establishing three things: where responsibility lies for statutory functions and duties; which bodies are liable to remedy redress; and who is accountable for service improvement. 

In a multi-agency landscape these questions go to the heart of local public accountability. Some recent examples of cases which have come to us help to make the point.

The elderly, disabled gentleman housed in an extra care housing scheme by the council, who has been paying for personal care he did not want or need.