LGO Individual Decisions

Summary: Mr X and his mother, Mrs Y, complained about the Council’s failure to provide a personal budget that met his eligible care and support needs. We found the Council to be at fault. To remedy the injustice to Mr X and Mrs Y, the Council has agreed to apologise and refund the money paid by Mr X to attend day services back to when he was first charged. It will also take action to refund other services users who were similarly affected and make service improvements.

Summary: Mrs X complained the Council failed to properly comply with some of the recommended actions it agreed to complete following the Ombudsman’s investigation into her original complaint about disability related expenditure requests. The Council was at fault for its delays and failure to properly complete the agreed actions. It was also at fault for its poor communication with Mrs X. This caused Mrs X and Mr Y injustice. The Council will take action to remedy the injustice caused.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about domiciliary care. The Council has fully upheld the complaints and agreed to make service improvements. Further investigation by the Ombudsman will not lead to a different outcome.

Summary: Miss X complains about the Council’s decision to refuse her appeal for home to school transport for her son who has special educational needs. We find that the Council was at fault. It has not explained its decision adequately and so has not demonstrated it considered the appeal properly. The Council has agreed to make a payment to Miss X to recognise the impact of its failings. It will also arrange another appeal hearing and remind appeal panel members about the importance of properly explaining their decisions. If the appeal is successful the Council will reimburse Miss X’s reasonab

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs B’s complaint about the Council charging her husband, Mr B, for respite care she was told would be free of charge. This is because the Council has investigated her complaints and we are satisfied the recommendations identified as an outcome of the Council’s investigation, remedy the injustice caused by the fault.

Summary: Miss X complained the Council did not properly consider the findings and recommendations of an independent investigation carried out under the children’s statutory complaints process. Miss X said the Council’s actions caused her avoidable frustration and negatively affected her mental health. We found fault by the Council who agreed to apologise to Miss X and make a payment to recognise the injustice caused.

Summary: Mrs X complained the Council’s poor handling of the COVID-19 grant schemes meant she missed out on business support worth £40,000 and was put to time and trouble chasing the Council. We found no fault by the Council.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council managed Mr X’s care and support needs. This is because an investigation could not add to the Council’s investigation and because it would not lead to a different outcome.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council has processed and handled Mr X’s personal data. This is because it is more appropriate for the Information Commissioner’s Office to consider the complaint.

Summary: We uphold Miss X’s complaint that the Council failed to consider her complaint within its children statutory complaints’ procedure. The Council has agreed to do so without further delay.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the way the Council has provided care and support to Mr B. This is because the Council has remedied the injustice to Mr B caused by fault and further investigation could not add to the Council’s responses or make a different finding of the kind Mr B wants. Further investigation by us would not be proportionate.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about eligibility for the hardship support fund. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.

Summary: Miss X complains about how the Council dealt with her appeal for home to school transport for her son. There was fault by the Council as the appeal panel did not consider the Council’s discretion. We also find fault in the Council’s policies on home to school transport. The Council has agreed to review the appeal panel’s decision and its policies.

Summary: The Ombudsman found no fault on Mr D’s complaint about the Council failing to carry out proper monitoring of high speeds on a stretch of road near his home. It provided evidence showing why it monitored where it did, contact it had with the police, why the police did not deploy officers to carry out enforcement monitoring near his home, and of Mr D making the police aware of his concerns.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision to pursue him for payment of outstanding council tax and not the other jointly liable person. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about care provided to Mrs C’s late husband. This is because further investigation could not add to the responses Mrs C has received from the Care Provider and the Council.

Summary: We will not investigate this council tax complaint because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council. In addition, the complainant could appeal to the Valuation Tribunal or contact the Valuation Office.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint that the Council gave notice to end his tenancy of stables. We cannot achieve what Mr X wants.

Summary: We will not investigate this late complaint about the Council reducing Mrs X’s direct payments for care. There is not a good reason she did not complain to us sooner.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council dealt with planning applications for a development near Mr X’s property. This is because the last planning decision was made by the Council in 2019 so this is a late complaint and there are no good reasons to investigate it now. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about a recent ecology survey because the Council was not involved in this being carried out.

Summary: Ms X complained on behalf of Mr Y that the Council failed to carry out its safeguarding duties towards him following Mr Y’s request for help and support. Ms X says the Council’s actions have had a negative impact on Mr Y’s mental health. We have found fault by the Council in this matter. The Council has agreed to apologise to Mr Y and make a payment to recognise the uncertainty caused by the fault identified.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the location of a street light which impacts on Mr X’s property. This is because there is not enough evidence that any fault by the Council has caused the injustice Mr X claims.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about renewing a bus pass for an older person. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council and insufficient evidence of injustice.

Summary: I will not investigate this complaint about contact restrictions placed on the complainant by the Council. This is because there is no evidence of fault in how the Council dealt with the matter.

Summary: Mr B complained that in approving planning applications for development near his property, the Council failed to properly assess the impact on surface water drainage and potential flooding of nearby properties including his. We have not found fault with the Council’s actions.