LGO Individual Decisions

Summary: We will not investigate Mr B’s complaint that his van was damaged due to the Council’s failure to repair a pothole. This is because it is reasonable for Mr B to pursue his compensation claim by taking the Council to court.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s licencing of a dog breeder. Part of the complaint is late and there is no good reason why it could not have been made sooner. There is no worthwhile achievable outcome for the remainder of his complaint

Mrs X says the Council breached her confidentiality by telling someone that she had complained to the Council on behalf of the other person. We will not investigate. This is because this complaint does not meet the tests set out in our Assessment Code on which complaints we should investigate. We are unlikely to find enough evidence of fault plus it is reasonable for Mrs X to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office if she considers her personal data has been breached.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s claim for damages to his car. 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 Mr X to take his claim to court.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about a council tax dispute because the complainant has a right of appeal to the Valuation Tribunal about the issue of council tax liability and because the complaint is made late

Summary: We have upheld this complaint because the Council delayed carrying out an Education Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment.

Summary: We upheld Ms X’s complaints. The Council failed to respond to Ms X’s request for an early annual review of her child Y’s Education, Health and Care Plan. It also failed to complete the annual review process within legal timescales and delayed responding to her complaints. The Council has already apologised which is an appropriate remedy.

this complaint about the Council’s assessment of a housing application. There is insufficient evidence of fault which would warrant an investigation.

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about the Council’s issue of a penalty charge notice. This is because she paid the penalty charge at the discounted rate of £35 and this amount is not significant enough to warrant investigation.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council dealt with information held on its Electoral Register about Ms X’s son. The Council has admitted fault and apologised. This is suitable to remedy the injustice Ms X experienced. Therefore, further investigation would achieve nothing more.

Summary: Miss X complained the Council failed to safeguard her son Mr Y from financial abuse. The Council commissioned care provider failed to update Miss X on the outcome of a safeguarding investigation. There was no fault in the way the Council investigated the safeguarding concern. Miss X also complained the Council commissioned care provider repeatedly cancelled hours and the Council failed to have sufficient oversight of this. There was fault in the care provider’s actions. The Council monitored this but failed to follow this up with service users. This was fault. The faults caused Miss X

Summary: We will not investigate this late complaint about a financial assessment for care. There is not a good reason for the delay in the matter being brought to the Ombudsman.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about ground maintenance because any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement and there is another body better placed to consider this complaint.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about educational provision for Mrs X’s child in the year 2022-23. The complaint is late and there is no good reason to investigate this matter now.

Summary: Mr X complained the Council delayed in providing education for his son, Y when Y moved to live with him in the Council’s area. The Council delayed three months in providing education and specialist educational provision to Y when it became responsible for his Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan in December 2022. Y missed out on education and special educational provision for three months and Mr X was caused frustration and distress. The Council will apologise and make a payment of £2,600 to Mr X for the injustice caused to him and Y and remind relevant staff of its duties to childre

Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about her late mother’s care charges because the complaint is late.

Summary: Miss X complained about the actions of enforcement agents acting on behalf of the Council to collect a council tax debt. The Council commissioned enforcement agents were not at fault.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint that the Council moved his polling station. There are insufficient levels or evidence of fault or injustice to warrant an investigation.

Summary: There was fault by the Council which failed to act in line with the legal timescales in issuing Y’s Education, Health and Care Plan, delayed consulting with school placements and failed to secure educational provision on Y’s Plan or arrange alternative provision. The Council will apologise, make Mr and Mrs X a payment of £500 to reflect their avoidable distress and make Y a payment of £7200 to reflect the loss of a year of education.

Summary: Mr B complained that the Council failed to take any effective action on his homeless application from March 2023 until March 2024 or respond to his complaint about the matter. It also suspended his bidding account, so he was unable to bid on available properties. We have found fault with the Council’s actions. The Council has agreed to take a fresh application from Mr B now, apologise to him, pay him £1000 and improve its procedures for the future.

Summary: Mrs X complained the Council delayed in re-assessing her child D’s Education, Health, and Care needs, and failed to ensure D received a suitable education and special educational needs support. There was fault by the Council which caused D to miss education and special educational needs support. This also caused avoidable distress for D, and avoidable distress, time, and trouble for Mrs X. The Council agreed to pay a financial remedy, and ensure suitable education and special educational needs support is in place for D without delay. It will also review its complaint handling processe

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about work carried out for a dropped kerb at Mr X’s property and work on his private driveway. This is because we are unlikely to find evidence of fault by the Council sufficient to warrant an investigation.

Summary: Miss X complained the Council has failed to provide alternative provision for her daughter, F since May 2021 when she stopped attending school. The Council was at fault. It failed to have sufficient oversight or consider whether to put alternative provision in place for F during the 2021/2022 academic year. It then further failed to have oversight or put in place enough education for F between September 2022 and May 2023 after it accepted the alternative provision duty. The Council agreed to make payments to Miss X to recognise the injustice this caused.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s failure to amend and correct information held about the complainant. This is because we would not achieve anything significant by doing so.

Summary: Mrs G complained about the Council’s poor handling of her free home to school transport application and appeal. She said as a result she experienced distress, uncertainty and had to transport her daughter to school. We found the Council at fault for causing delays, communicating poorly with her, and it failed to consider her appeal as set out in its policy. The Council should apologise and make payment to acknowledge the uncertainty it caused. It should also offer Mrs G for its appeal panel to consider her case.