Rulebook · Decision or problem

How the council has communicated or handled the case

Concerns about how the council has dealt with you cannot be appealed. Examples are unanswered emails, lost paperwork, poor communication or delay. You can raise them with the council and then use its complaints process. After that, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman can investigate. A complaint does not stop or extend the time for any appeal.

The Ombudsman normally expects the council to have had the chance to respond to the complaint first. Complaints should normally reach it within 12 months of the person affected first knowing about the problem.

Appeal right: this is not one of the matters that can be appealed to the SEND Tribunal (Children and Families Act 2014, s 51(2)). See the routes.

Ways to take this further

Listed in the order the rules give them. The order is not a ranking.

• Talk to the council: a meeting, or asking for reasons in writing
• Formal complaint to the council
• Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman

Type of rule

Law (Act or Regulations)This is the law, set by an Act of Parliament or by Regulations.

Rule id

issue.how_the_council_handled_it

Rules version

england-2026.10

Law as at

30 September 2026

Sources

• Local Government Act 1974, s 26(5)Law (Act or Regulations)
• Local Government Act 1974, s 26BLaw (Act or Regulations)
• Children and Families Act 2014, s 51(2)Law (Act or Regulations)

Related

• Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO)

See the ways to challenge

The whole rulebook