LGO Individual Decisions

Summary: We cannot investigate Ms X’s complaint about the Council abandoning plans to seek a court order to ensure the return of her child, and instead leaving the child with a parent who harmed them. This is because court action was commenced and a s.37 report ordered, which means the matter of who may safely care for the child has been subject to court action. That removes our legal power to investigate this matter.

Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about the state of the public highway and the Council’s handling of her compensation claim. This is because it would be reasonable for her to take the matter to court. We will not investigate her complaint that the Council shared information without her consent as the Information Commissioner is better placed to consider it.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s rejection of a request for a review of a housing application assessment. There is insufficient evidence of fault which would warrant an investigation.

Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about an unsuccessful appeal for a school place. We would not be able to achieve a worthwhile outcome by investigating this complaint.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the handling of a councillor conduct complaint as it is unlikely we will find fault or fault causing a significant injustice to the complainant.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about standard committees because there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about a delay by the Council in responding to the complainant’s questions and its decision not to pay compensation. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault causing injustice.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of the enforcement process and associated communications regarding a penalty charge notice. The Council has already taken appropriate action in response to the complaint and an investigation by the Ombudsman is unlikely to achieve much more for the complainant.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about liability for Council tax as the matter has been remedied and there was a right of appeal to Valuation Tribunal.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about an alleged failure by the Council to bill the complaint correctly for council tax, or its decision to not provide her a discretionary discount. This is because part of the complaint is late. The complainant also has a right of appeal to a statutory tribunal in relation to the discretionary discount. We will not exercise our discretion and so we have no jurisdiction to investigate this complaint.

Summary: We cannot investigate Ms X’s complaint about the education provided to her child since 2019. Part of the complaint is late and she has appealed to the SEND Tribunal about the content of her son’s Education, Health and Care Plan and so we cannot investigate this.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s refusal to prune trees near his property. There is insufficient evidence of fault to justify an investigation.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision to remove the complainant’s priority on the housing register. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.

Summary: Mr J complained the Council did not help him when he raised concerns about safety standards at his accommodation. He says it also delayed assisting him to claim a discretionary housing payment. We consider the Council is at fault. The Council offered an appropriate remedy for the personal injustice caused by its faults.

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about the refusal of a disabled facilities grant. There is insufficient evidence of fault to justify our involvement and part of the complaint is late.

Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about the Council’s failure to put in place alternative educational provision for her son while he was out of school. This is because the need for the alternative provision stems from Miss X’s disagreement with the Council’s decisions on her son’s Education Health and Care (EHC) Plans and belief that the named school was not suitable. Miss X has appealed against the Council’s decision to name her son’s current school in his October 2023 EHC Plan and could reasonably have appealed against its decision not to amend his Plan as part of a review

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision to remove the complainant’s priority on the housing register. This is because the Council has offered to do a further review.

Summary: We cannot investigate Mrs X’s complaint that the Council failed to consult with her preferred school of choice, or her complaint about the content of her child’s Education, Health and Care Plan. This is because Mrs X used her right of appeal to the SEND Tribunal about the content of the Plan and the law says we cannot investigate.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council dealt with the complainant’s planning application and the advice it provided to the complainant. This is because we are unlikely to find fault. The complainant has also appealed to the Planning Inspector.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint that the Council has failed to respond to a subject access request. This is because it is a matter best considered by the Information Commissioner’s Office.

Summary: Mrs X complained the Council failed to properly respond to a complaint about Mrs Y being overcharged for care. We found there was fault in the monitoring and oversight of the care charges and there was a significant delay in responding to the complaint. However, we found the Council remedied the complaint appropriately.

the Council followed the correct procedure before amending Mrs M’s son B’s Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan. It is not the Council’s fault the resource provision specified in the Plan could not admit B.

Summary: Ms X complained the Council failed to find a school place for her daughter after a Tribunal Order and she has missed out on suitable education for a significant period. We found the Council at fault as it had not been able to secure a school place or meet its legal duty to provide suitable full time education. The Council has agreed to our recommendations to remedy the injustice caused.

Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint that the Council failed to take sufficient steps to identify her as her mother’s next of kin and failed to take care of her mother’s possessions when it cleared her house. There is not enough evidence of fault to justify an investigation.

Summary: Ms D complained on behalf of Mr C that the Council, in respect of building work carried out by his neighbour, had failed to investigate breaches of planning control properly or take enforcement action to ensure the breaches were put right. We have not found fault with the actions of the Council.