LGO Individual Decisions

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about Mrs X having to remind a refuse collection contractor to collect her bin. This is because any injustice arising is not significant enough to warrant an investigation.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about property damage as the complaint is made late and there are not good reasons to investigate now.

Summary: Mrs X complains the Council has repeatedly failed to collect her household waste and recycling as scheduled despite collecting her neighbours’ waste. We found the repeated failures in the assisted collection service the Council provided to Mrs X is fault. This fault caused Mrs X frustration and disappointment and meant she had to rely on others to dispose of her waste or to present and retrieve her bin. The Council will apologise and make a payment to Mrs X to remedy this injustice.

Summary: Mr X complained the Council delayed meeting his assessed care needs and finding him suitable supported accommodation. We find the Council at fault for its delay in putting the care and support outlined in Mr X’s care plan in place. The Council’s actions caused Mr X avoidable distress, frustration and uncertainty, and his care needs were not met for five months. The Council has agreed to apologise to Mr X and make a symbolic payment of £500.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about how the Council handled a Freedom of Information request, because complaints about data matters are best considered by the Information Commissioner’s Office.

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

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint from Mr X about an advisor from the Council shouting at him during a phone call. This is because we could not add to the investigation carried out by the Council or achieve a different outcome.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about planning enforcement. This is because the complaint is late.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s failure to manage a transit site for travellers. We consider further investigation will not lead to a different outcome.

Summary: Mrs X complained about the Council closing her housing application. We find that the Council failed to provide clear information about the documents she needed to submit to support her application, or the evidence it would accept as proof of her address. It then closed Mrs X’s application as incomplete without specifying what information she had not provided. This caused

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about council tax liability. Mr X can appeal to the Valuation Tribunal, and it is reasonable to expect him to do this. For the other parts of Mr X’s complaint, we could not add to the Council’s investigation, and we cannot achieve the outcome he seeks.

Summary: Miss X complained about the Council closing her housing applications. We find that the Council failed to provide clear information about the documents she needed to submit to support her applications and then closed them as incomplete without specifying which documents she had not provided. It also wrongly closed her third application as incomplete when she had provided all the necessary documents. This caused

Summary: Mr B complained about the Council closing his housing application. We find that the Council failed to provide clear information about the documents he needed to submit to support his application and then closed it as incomplete without specifying why it could not accept the documents he had provided. Mr B has since joined the housing register. The Council remedied Mr B’s injustice by backdating his housing priority. There is no significant unremedied injustice.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council not providing alternative educational provision to Miss X’s child. This is because the injustice she claims stems from actions taken by the school, and there is not enough evidence of fault by the Council.

Summary: Mr X complained the Council wrongly stopped free home to school transport for his child, Y. He also complained about the Council’s charges for the discretionary spare seat transport. There is no fault in the way the Council made its decision during the application, stage one and two appeal, so we cannot criticise the decision. Matters around charges have been resolved between Mr X and the Council.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council requesting additional fees for a licence. The claimed injustice is not significant enough to warrant our involvement.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about highway maintenance because it is reasonable to expect Mr Y to raise the issues with the courts, who are better placed to consider the complaint, and it is not a good use of public resources to investigate complaint handling when we are not investigating the substantive matter.

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

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Education, Health and Care Plan process for Mrs X’s child. This is because it was reasonable for Mrs X to appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability). An investigation into the remainder of Mrs X’s complaint would not lead to a different outcome.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about a dropped kerb and highways enforcement matter. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigation.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about a Freedom of Information Request. It would be reasonable for Mr X to raise his concerns with the Information Commissioner’s Office.

Summary: Mr B complained about the Council closing his housing applications. We find that the Council failed to provide clear information about the documents he needed to submit to support his applications and then closed them as incomplete without specifying which documents he had not provided. It also wrongly closed his third application as incomplete when he had provided all the necessary documents. This caused

Summary: There was fault and delay by the Council in implementing a Tribunal decision and securing provision in an Education, Health and Care Plan. As a result, a child missed out on provision for many months. The Council has agreed to apologise, make symbolic payments and carry out service improvements.

Summary: Ms X complained about her late relative Mrs Y’s care in a council-funded care home placement. We found fault by the care home which acted for the Council. It failed to involve Ms X or the family with Mrs Y’s care planning and failed to tell them about one of two falls. This was poor communication causing avoidable distress for which this Council will apologise.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of the statutory complaint procedure concerning the safeguarding of Mr X’s child. There is insufficient evidence of fault to warrant an investigation.