LGO Individual Decisions

Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about the Council’s handling of her housing and homeless case. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault. In addition, it is reasonable for Miss X to ask the Council to complete a review of its decision.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the circumstances in which a foster placement came to an end, and about the subsequent standards of care investigation. This is because investigation by the Ombudsman would not lead to a different outcome.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about housing benefit overpayments. This is because the complainant could have used her appeal rights and because it is a late complaint.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s actions relating to a planning application. There is no worthwhile outcome we can achieve.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how to meet adult social care needs when the current provision ends. The court of protection is better placed to settle a dispute about how best to meet a person’s needs when they do not have capacity to decide. The claimed injustice is future and speculative and so there is no worthwhile outcome to achieve from an Ombudsman investigation.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about Mr and Mrs X’s housing. Parts of the complaint are late without good enough reason to accept them now. Mr and Mrs X could have used their review and appeal rights on some points. Investigation is unlikely to find fault with the Council’s decision-making since July 2023 about medical priority and overcrowding priority for the housing application.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint. There was no fault in the Council giving Miss X’s housing application Band D priority.

Summary: Mr Y complains the Council did not properly consider his family’s circumstances when it looked at his appeal for D to receive taxi transport to school. In our view there is procedural fault in how the Council handled D’s school transport application and appeal and it has agreed to implement the actions listed at the end of this statement to remedy the injustice caused by fault.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the way the Council manages council tax payments. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s assessment process for Education, Health and Care plans for Ms X’s two children, and its complaint-handling. The substantive matters are not separable from the issues that Ms X can appeal to tribunal. We will not consider complaint-handling in isolation.

Summary: We will not investigate this late complaint about the Council’s response to child protection concerns. There is not a good reason for the delay in bringing the substantive part of the complaint to the Ombudsman. Any fault in more recent events has not caused injustice.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of Miss X’s application for social housing. The Council properly reached its review decision that Miss X does not qualify for social housing in its area. In that context, it would be disproportionate to investigate the other points.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about a housing application. Some parts are late without good enough reason to investigate them now. The Council’s delay reassessing the application did not disadvantage Miss X in practical terms. The Council’s apology is enough remedy for the uncertainty during the delay. Miss X can reasonably ask the Council for a review if she wants to challenge its new decision.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of a planning condition for obscure glazed windows in Ms X’s neighbour’s development. This is because there is no evidence to suggest fault by the Council sufficient to warrant an investigation.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about temporary accommodation. There is not enough evidence of fault to justify our involvement.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the special educational needs and school transport provision made by the Council for Mr X’s child. There is no evidence of fault by the Council in the matter of transport, Mr X has had a right of appeal to the SEND Tribunal regarding the provision at school he requires for his child, and there is not enough potential injustice created by others matters on their own to warrant our further involvement.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision to allow a roof terrace at a property neighbouring Mr X’s. This is because we are unlikely to find evidence of fault by the Council sufficient to warrant an investigation.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the accuracy of reports written by a council social worker. We cannot consider complaints about matters discussed in court or which could be raised in court.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint that the Council failed to ensure Special Educational Needs provision was being met for two children. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council and investigation by the Ombudsman would not lead to a different outcome.

Summary: Mr Y complains about how the Council considered the application for his children, D and E, to receive home to school transport assistance. In our view, the Council did not record its consideration of all relevant supporting evidence provided with the applications. The Council also focused on the home to school distance and did not properly consider whether D and E could travel to school safely. This fault caused uncertainty which the Council has agreed to remedy with the actions listed at the end of this statement.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how much priority the Council gave Miss X’s housing application. The evidence suggests the Council reached its decision properly, so investigation would be unlikely to find fault.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council consulted over changes to traffic management order. There is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating.

Summary: Miss X complained the Council failed to consider relevant medical information and as a result placed her in unsuitable interim and temporary accommodation between June and October 2023. There was no fault in how the Council considered the medical information Miss X initially provided. However, the Council was at fault for failing to consider medical evidence she later provided and not reassessing the suitability of the interim accommodation at that point. The Council also delayed accepting the main housing duty which delayed Miss X’s right to request a review of the suitability of acc

Summary: Ms X complains about the Council’s handling of her adult child’s Blue Badge renewal and theft of Blue Badges from her vehicle. The Council was at fault for taking too long to process the Blue Badge renewal. The Council has agreed to apologise to Ms X and clarify the parking rules outside her home.

Summary: HOS found the Council has provided reasonable redress for Ms X’s complaint regarding works to her kitchen. LGSCO did not find fault in how the Council assessed whether Ms X’s property could be adapted to meet her needs. LGSCO found fault in how the Council decided Ms X’s priority for rehousing in 2022. Both Ombudsmen found fault with the Council’s complaint handling. The Council has agreed to apologise to Ms X, make payments, and act to improve its services.