WOLFE&BLACK

Public bodies & Ombudsman complaints

Ombudsman Complaint Evidence & Case Preparation

Evidence-led preparation for Local Government Ombudsman and public-body complaints involving delay, maladministration, unfair process and unanswered evidence.

An Ombudsman complaint is strongest when it makes the fault, source evidence and resulting injustice easy to follow. Wolfe & Black helps people build a concise evidence-led complaint pack after the organisation has had a fair opportunity to respond.

Bring the decision. We build the case.

Send the trigger document, the papers you already have and any deadline. We will identify the practical preparation work that can be done within our non-reserved role.

Separate fault from disagreement

Identify the precise act, omission, delay or failure to follow process. Then show why it matters, rather than using broad allegations of unfairness.

Prove the expected process

Use policy, guidance, published timescales and the organisation’s own commitments to show what should have happened.

Prove what happened

Use correspondence, acknowledgements, case records and responses to build a clean chronology and identify unanswered points.

Set out the injustice and remedy

Explain the actual impact and a realistic remedy sought, supported by evidence where possible.

Questions people ask

What does an Ombudsman need to see?

The original complaint, each response, the escalation history, relevant policy or procedure, a dated chronology and the key documents that show the alleged fault and its practical effect.

What is a fault-and-injustice schedule?

It is a table that links each alleged error or delay to the evidence, the response received and the consequence said to have followed.

Can the Ombudsman change a court or tribunal decision?

Usually an Ombudsman route is not a substitute for a court or tribunal appeal. Identify all deadlines and alternative remedies before relying on a complaint route.

Get the papers in order

1. Send the trigger document

The notice, assessment, call-up letter, decision or complaint outcome that started the problem.

2. Identify the deadline

Tell us the date served and any hearing, review, complaint or appeal date.

3. Build the evidence pack

We can scope evidence review, chronology, issue mapping and a structured preparation pack.

Important boundary

Wolfe & Black is not a firm of solicitors and does not conduct reserved legal activities. We provide non-reserved case preparation and permitted support. Where authorised representation is needed, we will say so.