LGO Individual Decisions

Summary: Ms Y complained the Council failed to complete work to repair significant damp issues at her property. We find the Council at fault for a delay in completing the necessary work to repair Ms Y’s property. This has caused Ms Y distress, frustration and uncertainty. The Council has agreed to apologise, make a symbolic payment and complete service improvements to remedy the injustice caused.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about a Council tax refund because there is insufficient injustice to warrant investigation.

Summary: Dr Y complained about the Council’s handling of S’s Education, Health and Care needs assessment between January 2023 and October 2023. The Council is at fault for delays in adequately assessing its section 19 duties and failing to ensure S received all the provision set out in his plan from October 2023. This caused Dr Y avoidable uncertainty and frustration as well as loss of provision for S. The Council has agreed to apologise to Dr Y, make a payment to recognise the injustice and act to prevent recurrence.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about a lack of parking enforcement on his road. This is because Mr X’s injustice lies in his occasional inability to park on the road and we could not say this was the result of any actions or fault by the Council.

Summary: Ms X complained the Council wrongly issued her with a Fixed Penalty Notice regarding commercial waste when she does not run a business. Ms X says this has cost her financially, through payment of the penalty and loss of income. She said this also caused her distress. There was fault in the way the Council did not explain its position, did not allow Ms X to explain her position and the complaint handling was poor. This frustrated Ms X and she was put to time and trouble to complain. The Council agreed to refund the penalty notice as it offered, make a financial payment, provide guidanc

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council not requiring a neighbour to remove or cut back a bush at the end of his drive, and its reply to his solicitor’s letter. There is not enough evidence of fault by the Council, nor of a sufficiently significant injustice caused to Mr X by the matters complained of, to warrant an investigation. We also cannot achieve the outcome he seeks.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s response to an information request as it is best dealt with by the Information Commissioner’s Office.

Summary: Mx X complained about the Council’s service in providing waste and recycling collections for their property. They say the Council failed to arrange assisted collections and did not deliver bins to the property. They also say the Council missed multiple collections. Mx X reports this affected their mental health by having to store rubbish within their property. We found the Council at fault which caused Mx X injustice. The Council has agreed to make payment and arrange assisted collections for refuse and provide Mx X with appropriate bins. In addition, it should monitor the bin collect

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about council tax billing. Further investigation would not lead to a different outcome.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the way the Council dealt with a homelessness application. The Council has acknowledged there were errors in its handling. The apology, extra training for staff and financial remedy offered by the Council is a satisfactory outcome, so any further investigation is not warranted.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council removing his plant from his garden wall. This is because the Council has already taken suitable action to remedy the matter and there is nothing further we would add or recommend were we to also investigate.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s delay in issuing a homelessness review decision. It was reasonable for Mr X to challenge the final decision by appealing to the court. There is insufficient injustice caused by the delay to warrant an investigation.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about changes to the Council’s Early Years Provider Agreement which he says threaten the viability of his business. There is not enough evidence of fault to justify an investigation.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about privately arranged adult social care in a residential care home. We are satisfied with the action taken to waive half of the care fees. It is unlikely an Ombudsman investigation would reach a different outcome.

Summary: Ms X says the Council is wrong in law to treat her ex-lodger as her tenant and reach a decision that Ms X illegally evicted them. We will not investigate. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council and also because only the courts can reach definitive legal rulings.

Summary: We cannot investigate this complaint about a report the Council presented to a court. The law prevents us from investigating matters that have been subject to court proceedings.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council dealt with a complaint about the conduct of councillors. This is because we are unlikely to find fault.

Summary: We cannot investigate this complaint about information included in a report that the Council provided during court proceedings. The law prevents us from investigating complaints about what happened in court.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about council tax exemption. It is reasonable to expect Mr X to appeal to the Valuation Tribunal. We will also not investigate how the Council handled Mr X’s complaint because this is not the substantive part of the complaint, and the Council has already apologised.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about Council tax liability as there is a right of appeal to a Valuation Tribunal.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint that the Council discriminated against him by the way it communicated with him. This is because any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about a delay by the Council in processing a change in relation to the complainant’s council tax. This is because the Council has provided a satisfactory response and there is not enough remaining injustice to require an investigation.

Summary: The Council was at fault for failing to have due regard to Ms X’s rights before ending her occupation of a property as a property guardian. The Council was also at fault for failures in its homelessness service, not providing interpreting and translation services and not meeting costs it promised to pay. The Council has agreed to remedy the injustice to Ms X by making payments and acting to improve its services.

Summary: Mr Y complained the Council failed to source a suitable nursing home for his mother, Mrs X, which meant he had to pay third-party top ups when Mrs X moved to a nursing home. There was fault by the Council for its failure to provide Mrs X with at least an option of one available, and affordable respite nursing care home. This caused distress and uncertainty to Mr Y. The Council will take action to remedy the injustice caused.

Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about the support provided to her by the Council’s adult social care service. There is insufficient evidence of fault and it is unlikely an investigation would lead to a different outcome.