LGO Individual Decisions

Summary: Mr X complained about the Council’s decision not to consider his community group’s most recent application for a building to be listed as an Asset of Community Value. We found no fault in the way the Council made its decision. Mr X also raised questions of law, which we cannot determine.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council dealt with a safeguarding concern about a child. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault to justify our involvement.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s response to Mr X’s reports of planning breaches. This is because we are unlikely to find evidence of fault by the Council sufficient to warrant an investigation.

Summary: Ms X complained the Council delayed assessing her son, C’s, special educational needs following a request in January 2021. There were delays in the assessment. The Council has agreed to apologise and make a payment to recognise the frustration caused to C and his family.

Summary: Mrs X complains that the Council did not increase her direct payment in line with inflation and told her she couldn’t use an agency. We do not find the Council was at fault in this but we do find the Council was at fault in its delay alerting Mrs X to her overspending. We recommended the Council review Mrs X’s care and support plan and ensure her budget is enough to pay for adequate care and support. It has agreed to do this and backdate any shortfall.

Summary: A homeowner complained about the Council’s failure to reimburse the costs he incurred for repairs work after a leak from a neighbouring Council property damaged his home. He also complained about its delay in resolving the leak problem. But we cannot investigate these matters because the law prevents us from considering complaints about how councils manage their social housing properties.

Summary: Mrs X complained about the Council’s record keeping, failing to notify her of safeguarding issues and spending funds without her consent. We have discontinued our investigation. This is because we cannot add anything to the Council’s investigation, because any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement and because there is a more appropriate forum to consider disputes about information.

Summary: Mr X complained about the Council’s decision to return a property to residential use. He said the property attracts unwanted attention causing distress. We found no fault in the Council’s decision making.

Summary: The complainant (Mr X) said the Council delayed issuing an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) for his son (Y). Mr X also complained about the Council’s communication with the parents and lack of effective liaison after issuing a draft EHCP. We find fault with the way the Council acted when issuing an EHCP for Y. The Council agreed to apologise to Y and Mr X, to make a payment to recognise the loss of special educational provisions caused by the delays and to make service improvements.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council has dealt with the complainant’s planning application. This is because the complainant has the right to appeal to the Planning Inspector.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision to grant planning permission for a development next to the complainant’s home. We have not seen evidence of fault in the Council’s actions.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council dealt with a possible breach of planning control and a planning application. This is because we are unlikely to find fault.

Summary: We cannot investigate this complaint about what a social worker said in court. This is because the complaint does not meet the tests in our Assessment Code on how we decide which complaints to investigate. The matters complained cannot be separated from court proceedings.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about children services actions. We cannot investigate matters which are part of legal proceedings, and we are unlikely to achieve a significantly different remedy for the other aspects of his complaint.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council dealt with breach of planning control. This is because the complainant has the right to appeal to the Planning Inspector.

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about the Council’s handling of a planning enforcement matter. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault by the Council causing Mrs X significant injustice.

Summary: We cannot investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision not to name the complainant’s preferred placement in his son’s Education Health and Care Plan. The complainant has used his right to appeal and this places the matter outside the Ombudsman’s jurisdiction.

Summary: We cannot investigate this complaint about the contents of an assessment completed by the Council’s children’s services. This is because the assessment has been considered in court, which places the matter outside of our jurisdiction.

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about the Council’s decision not to enforce against her neighbour’s garden development, and how officers dealt with her complaint. There is not enough evidence of fault in the Council’s decision-making processes to warrant an investigation. We do not investigate councils’ internal complaints processes where we are not investigating the core issues giving rise to the complaint.

Summary: Mr E complains about delays in the Council’s reassessment of his daughter’s Education, Health and Care plan. He also complains about the contents of professionals’ reports used in the assessment. The Ombudsman has discontinued our investigation. This is because we cannot know the injustice, caused by any delay, until we know the outcome of the appeal Mr E has lodged.

Summary: Mrs X complained on behalf of her daughter, Ms B about the Council’s handling and failure to communicate the outcome of a children’s safeguarding enquiry regarding her granddaughter, Y. Mrs X complains the Council was heavy handed and placed undue stress and anxiety on the family. We have not found any fault by the Council.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision to prosecute the complainant for breaching health and safety regulations. This is because the complaint does not meet the tests in our Assessment Code on how we decide which complaints to investigate as the matters complained about have been subject to court proceedings.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s consideration and determination of a planning application. From the information we have seen we are unlikely to find fault in the Council’s actions. Nor has the complainant suffered enough injustice because of a failure to respond to some of his emails to justify an investigation on this point.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision to approve materials for a development next to Mr X’s property. This is because part of his complaint is late and there is no reason why he could not have complained sooner. Mr X has not been caused an injustice as a result of the Council’s more recent decision regarding materials.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about child protection action in respect of the complainant’s granddaughter. This is because there is no evidence of fault on the Council’s part.