LGO Individual Decisions

Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about children services’ actions as we are unlikely to add to the Council’s reply to her complaint.

Summary: Mrs X complained about the Council’s failure to provide her with suitable accommodation. We found fault with the Council for the delay in offering Mrs X and her family alternative accommodation. We also found fault in the way the Council communicated with Mrs X and dealt with her complaint. The Council’s fault caused injustice to Mrs X and her family. The Council has agreed to apologise and make symbolic payments. The Council has already taken action to ensure no families with children are housed in accommodation with shared facilities. The Council is also improving its complaint hand

Summary: Mr X complained the Council delayed providing his son with respite care when he transitioned from children to adult services. We find the Council was at fault for the delay in securing suitable respite care for Mr X’s son. This caused distress and upset, and Mr X’s son lost out on care he was entitled to. The Council has agreed to apologise to Mr X and his son, make payments to them and implement a service improvement.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council evicting Ms X from interim accommodation and the loss of her belongings. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault and injustice to justify an investigation. Ms X could go to the county court about the loss of her belongings, and it is reasonable to expect her to do so.

Summary: Mrs X complained the Council failed to ensure her child, Y received an education or the specialist provision in line with their Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan after they moved to the area in July 2024. The Council was at fault for failing to offer Y a school placement or arrange an education and provision in line with their EHC Plan between September 2024 and May 2025. The Council agreed to apologise and make payments to acknowledge the injustice this caused to Y and Mrs X. It should also carry out service improvements.

Summary: We will not exercise discretion to investigate this complaint about the Council’s assessment and review of a housing application. This complaint was received outside the normal 12-month period for investigating complaints. There is no evidence to suggest that Miss X could not have complained to us sooner.

Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about the Council’s record-keeping because there is insufficient evidence of fault causing sufficient injustice to justify our involvement.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about housing benefit and council tax reduction decisions. This is because Ms X has appealed. Parts of the complaint are late, and there is not enough evidence of fault regarding other complaints.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about a dispute over a payment agreement between the Council and a private landlord. It is reasonable for Ms X to seek a remedy in the courts over a private agreement.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about Penalty Charge Notices because it is reasonable to expect Mr X to appeal to the Traffic Enforcement Centre and the London Tribunals.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council issuing a fixed penalty notice for school non-attendance

Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about the Council’s handling of her homelessness application and her unsuccessful bids on two properties in 2023. This is because the complaint is late and there are no good reasons for us to exercise discretion.

Summary: Miss X complained on behalf of Mr Y that the Council failed to assess his homelessness applications or to arrange alternative accommodation. We found the Council delayed in considering Mr Y’s homelessness application, including whether to provide any interim accommodation. The Council has accepted the fault and agreed to pay £3150 to Mr Y for the delays and in recognition of the avoidable stress and uncertainty.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council assisted Mrs X in applying for Universal Credit. This is because we cannot achieve the outcome Mrs X wants and there is a body better placed to investigate her complaint.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the suitability of Mr X’s temporary accommodation and the Council’s decision about what priority to give Mr X’s application for social housing. Mr X has a right of appeal to court about the suitability of his accommodation which he can use. It is unlikely an investigation would find fault in the Council’s decision about social housing priority.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of Ms X’s council tax. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault to require an investigation. We cannot investigate the issue of a summons because it is outside our jurisdiction.

Summary: The Council delayed acting on Miss X’s reports of disrepair in her temporary accommodation. The Council has apologised for part of the delay and made a payment to Miss X. The further delay caused Miss X a period of uncertainty. The Council has agreed to apologise and make an additional payment to Miss X.

Summary: We cannot investigate Miss B’s complaint about the Council not taking action about Council tenants using her land. This is because we cannot investigate complaints about the management of social housing by a council acting as a social landlord.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision to refuse Mrs X’s application for a Blue Badge for her daughter. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s assessment of Miss X’s housing application since 2019. There is insufficient evidence of fault which would warrant an investigation. We will not exercise discretion to consider events before 2024 because they are outside the normal 12-month period for receiving complaints.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint alleging the Council breached Mrs X’s personal data. This is because there is another body better placed to consider the data breach complaint, and as we are unlikely to be able to add to the Council’s investigation.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about a penalty charge notice. This is because the Council has cancelled the penalty charge notice and it is unlikely an investigation would achieve significantly more.

Summary: Mrs X complained the Council failed to investigate concerns about an incident when her relative, Mrs Y, received domiciliary care. She also complained about poor complaint handling. Mrs X said this caused distress and believed Mrs Y would be alive if it were not for the incident. We have discontinued the investigation. This is a late complaint and there is no good reason to exercise discretion to consider this matter now. The Information Commissioner’s Office is better placed to consider the complaint about not providing information. The Ombudsman will not complete an investigation to

Summary: Mr X complained about the Council’s failure to properly investigate a breach of planning control that adversely impacted his nearby home. We found no fault in the Council’s investigation but it had not replied to some of Mr X’s correspondence or formally closed its enforcement case. This had not caused Mr X significant injustice needing a remedy but the Council agreed to act to close its enforcement case.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council adding recovery costs to a council tax demand which Mr X says he did not receive. We have no jurisdiction to investigate complaints about matters which have been subject to court proceedings. There is insufficient evidence of fault in the Council’s billing process prior to the proceedings.