LGO Individual Decisions

Summary: Miss X complains about the Council’s failure to tell her there was no place available for her child at their preferred school until the day before they were due to start there and a lack of alternative education provision. The Council has agreed to take further action to remedy the injustice caused to Miss X and her child by its poor communication. There is no evidence of fault by the Council in its handling of alternative education provision for Miss X’s child.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council interacted with Mr X at a library. This is because the complaint does not meet the tests in our Assessment Code on how we decide which complaints to investigate. The Council has already apologised and responded to Mr X and we are satisfied with the actions it has taken to resolve his complaint.

Summary: Miss Q complained the Council failed to provide occupational therapy to help meet her child R’s special education needs from September 2023 which caused ongoing uncertainty and distress. The Council accepted fault which caused injustice. The Council has agreed to apologise and make symbolic payments to Miss Q to reflect the injustice caused.

Summary: Ms M complains about her son B’s education. The Council failed to arrange home invigilation for B’s GCSEs as required by his Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan, and he had to change subjects late in the day due to an examination clash that should have been foreseen. We cannot evaluate the impact on B’s results, but we have recommended a symbolic remedy the acknowledge the stress these faults caused.

Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about the care review completed by the Council and the decision to include information which Ms X considers was out of date, and of the Council’s refusal to appoint her an advocate. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault.

Summary: Ms B complained about the Council’s actions in respect of recovery of an overpayment of housing benefit from 2016. We have not found fault with the Council.

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about suffering a fall on an uneven paving stone. This is because it does not meet the tests in our Assessment Code on how we decide which complaints to investigate. It is reasonable to expect Mrs X to go to court directly or through insurers.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the actions of the Council’s children’s services because it concerns matters that have been or reasonably could reasonably be considered in court.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s decision to refuse a Discretionary Housing Payment. There is not enough evidence of fault in the way the matter was considered to justify investigating.

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

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council dealt with the complainant’s subject access request. The Information Commissioner is better placed to deal with the complaint.

Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about the Council’s delay in issuing her daughter’s final Education Health and Care Plan and its failure to put in place sufficient speech and language therapy to meet her needs. This is because the injustice Ms X claims is not significant enough to warrant investigation.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s management of contact arrangements with his children and breaching a court order. The Council has accepted fault in the administration of contact and offered Mr X £500. Investigation by us would be unlikely to lead to a better outcome. The enforcement of contact arrangements can only be resolved by a court, and it would thus be reasonable for Mr X to use his right to return to court if he seeks enforcement.

Summary: Mr X complained the Council delayed and made errors in respect of his homelessness application impacting his position on the housing register and causing distress. The Council accepts fault in not accepting the main housing duty when it had already determined Mr X was homeless by accepting the relief duty. The Council has now agreed a suitable remedy.

Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about a report the Council prepared for the court because we cannot investigate complaints about court proceedings.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council preventing Mr G from filming a committee meeting. This is because the complaint does not meet the tests in our Assessment Code on how we decide which complaints to investigate. Mr G has not claimed any injustice in the matter and the Council has already apologised and confirmed it should not have happened.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about an administrative error related to Mr X's council tax account. The Council has accepted fault, apologised and offered to defer the outstanding council tax owed over the next financial year. This is an appropriate remedy for the injustice caused. It is unlikely an investigation would add to this or lead to a different outcome.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council deciding not to enforce against his neighbour’s air conditioning units and not assessing the units’ noise. T

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the alleged inaccuracy of information about Mr X on Council records. The Information Commissioner's Office is better placed than us to consider alleged data inaccuracy, and it would be reasonable for Mr X to go to court to seek compensation for the direct effect he claims this had on his health.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s building control service. This is because we are unlikely to find fault.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about public transport because any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the actions of a member of a school’s staff. We have no legal power to investigate the actions of a school or its staff.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about a report provided to a Council committee because there is insufficient evidence of fault. We will not investigate its complaints handling since we are not investigating the underlying complaint.

Summary: We cannot investigate this complaint about the quality of care Mr X’s late mother received in a care home. This is because it was arranged by the National Health Service not the Council.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s finance director making a budget request to a committee. He says the request should not have been made. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault.