LGO Individual Decisions

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint that the Council has declined to consider a complaint about the welfare of a child. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault.

Summary: Mrs X complained the Council failed to safeguard her children; failed to provide appropriate respite and failed to provide an appropriate remedy for the complaints it upheld. I find no fault in respect of the safeguarding or respite and consider the remedy provided is in line with the amounts normally recommended by the Ombudsman.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s actions when completing a safeguarding concern. This is because Mr X’s complaint is late and there is no good reason why it could not have been made to us sooner.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s pre-application planning advice. This is because it is unlikely an investigation would add to the Council’s response or achieve any more for the complainant.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision to refuse the complainant’s application and appeal for school transport assistance for her son. There is insufficient evidence of fault on the Council’s part to warrant our intervention.

Summary: Miss D complained that the Council delayed progressing grant-funded adaptations to her home. As a result, her family has been overcrowded for over four years. The Council has accepted there was delay. It has agreed to make a payment to Miss D to remedy the distress caused.

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about the Council’s decision to refuse her application for free home to school transport for her child. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council to warrant an investigation.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about a personal data breach. This is because complaints about data matters, such as this, are best considered and decided by the Information Commissioner’s Office.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about Council tax listing as this is against a body out of jurisdiction.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about how a Council dealt with overpaid Council Tax. It is unlikely we would find fault.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint that the Council delayed reinstating his sole occupier discount on his council tax. There is not enough evidence of fault.

Summary: Mrs C complains a care home acting on behalf of the Council failed to safeguard her mother, Mrs D, which resulted in a fall and extensive injuries. The Council is at fault for failing to provide the care home with a copy of Mrs D’s assessment and the care home failed to properly risk assess Mrs D. This has caused uncertainty about whether Mrs D would have fallen as she did. To remedy the complaint the Council has agreed to apologise to Mrs D and Mrs C, make a symbolic payment for the uncertainty caused, and service improvements.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about adult safeguarding. It would be reasonable to allow the Council to conclude its safeguarding investigation.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s response to a request for information and social care assessment. The Information Commissioner’s Office is best placed to deal with complaints about how organisations handle requests for information. We could not achieve a worthwhile outcome for Mr X by investigating the other matters he complains about.

Summary: We cannot investigate Miss X’s complaint about the Council’s alleged failure to adhere to contact arrangements ordered by a court. There has been further court action in the past year and the alleged failure either has or could reasonably have been raised as part of the proceedings.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of arrangements for Ms V’s care and support because: the Court of Protection either supervises or should consider the arrangements; the Council has offered a suitable remedy for some shortfall in service and explained its decision on charges for Ms V's care and support; and we will not investigate the handling of correspondence for its own sake. The matter does not therefore warrant us investigating.

Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about a data breach by the Council. This is because the complaint does not meet the tests in our Assessment Code on how we decide which complaints to investigate. This complaint is better considered by the Information Commissioner’s Office .

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about the Council granting planning permission to a neighbouring property for a rear extension, a change of its use to a children’s home, and how officers considered the impacts of the development on her amenity. There is not enough evidence of fault in the Council’s planning decision‑making process to warrant us investigating. We also cannot achieve the outcome she seeks.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint that the Council failed to provide the complainant with appropriate support for the care of his grandchildren. This is because the Council has accepted that the complainant was a connected foster carer and we would not seek to achieve anything further at this point.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about a council tax error because the Council has agreed a fair remedy.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about alleged discrimination against the complainant by granting a license for a gate across a private lane, the sale of Council owned land and delay in responding to correspondence. The complaint is late, and we have seen no reason to exercise discretion and investigate. Nor do we consider the complainant has suffered a significant personal injustice.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the service Miss X received when she buried her brother’s ashes as we cannot add to what the Council has already said or change the outcome of the complaint.

Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about education provided to her child, Y since September 2023. Ms X had a right of appeal to a tribunal about the school placements named in Y’s Education, Health and Care Plans and it was reasonable for her to use her appeal rights.

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about the Council’s decision to reduce the day centre support Mr Z receives. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault.

Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about damage caused by Council owned trees to her property. This is because it is reasonable for Miss X to take the matter to court.