LGO Individual Decisions

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about the Council charging her father for his care and support and about failing to consider her father’s expenses in his financial assessment. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about missed recycling collections because the Council has provided a satisfactory response.

Summary: Mr X complained about the way the Council handled child protection matters concerning his children. We did not find fault in the Council’s decision-making.

Summary: The Council has already accepted fault for its handling of Mr X’s homelessness in 2021. The Council has agreed to apologise and make a payment to Mr X for the injustice caused. There was no fault in the Council’s decision Mr X did not qualify to join the housing register.

Summary: Mr X complained the Council failed to ensure his son, Y, received any education and the provision set out in his Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP). He also complained the Council failed to review Y’s EHCP between September 2020 and October 2022. Mr X complained the Council failed to send out reports before the annual review in October 2022. Mr X complained the Council did not inform him of the outcome of the October 2022 annual review within timescales and delayed responding to his complaints. Mr X said this caused him distress and uncertainty. He said Y missed out on education a

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

Summary: X complained about how the Council dealt with his building regulations application. X said that the Council’s failures led to delay and significant financial losses. We did not investigate this complaint further as we are unlikely to find fault, recommend a remedy or reach any other meaningful outcome.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of a reported breach of planning control. This is because the complaint is late.

Summary: Mrs X complained about how the Council handled her son’s Education, Health and Care Plan annual review process. We have found fault with the Council for failing to consider Mrs X’s comments, causing delays and poor communication during this process. This caused Mrs X and her family avoidable distress.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council dealt with an in-year application for a school place. One of the schools Mrs X applied to is an academy. The Council was acting on the school’s behalf and we have no powers to consider complaints about academy schools. Mrs X has the right to appeal the decision not to offer her son a place at the school for which the Council is the admission authority. It is reasonable for Mrs X to use her appeal rights and so we will not investigate. We will not investigate the Council’s handling of Mrs X’s complaint as a standalone issue.

Summary: The complainant (Mrs X) said the Council failed to ensure her son (Y) received the speech and language therapy provision identified in his Education Health and Care Plan. She also complained about the lack of occupational therapy support for Y and the Council’s poor communication. The Council has accepted its fault and offered some remedies. We cannot look at the occupational therapy issues as Mrs X appealed the content of Y’s Education Health and Care Plan in June 2022. The Council has agreed to make a higher payment to Mrs X to recognise Y's and Mrs X's injustice caused by the lack

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of Mr X’s TPO (Tree Preservation Order) works application. 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 highway repair and maintenance because further investigation would not lead to a different outcome and there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating.

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about the Council’s handling of her neighbour’s planning application. This is because the complaint is late and it would have been reasonable for Mrs X to bring it to us sooner.

Summary: Mr Z complained about the Council’s decision not to grant him a vehicle access licence, meaning he has no vehicle access to his front driveway. The Council was not at fault for how it considered Mr Z’s application for a vehicle access licence. The Council was at fault for the way it communicated with Mr Z and for not picking up that his driveway did not meet the minimum

Summary: Mr X complained about the Council’s decision not to grant him a vehicle access licence, meaning he has no vehicle access to his front driveway. The Council was not at fault for how it considered Mr X’s application but was at fault for not picking up that his driveway did not meet the minimum

Summary: Mrs X complains the Council failed to provide a suitable education for her son, Y, who could not cope with attending a mainstream school due to anxiety and stopped attending in Summer 2021. We found there was fault by the Council and recommended a payment to reflect the loss of education.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s alleged failure to use its enforcement powers regarding a boundary dispute. This is because we cannot investigate private boundary disputes; only the courts can decide responsibility for land boundaries.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s refusal to write off a Council tax debt as the matter could be appealed to a Valuation Tribunal.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about adult social care, and the Council’s communication with the complainant. The main issues complained about have been known to the complainant for more than 12 months, have been heard at court, or the complainant could reasonably have taken to court. It is unlikely the Ombudsman would find the court action was misconceived, and it is not a good use of our resource to only look at complaint handling.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of a property offer to Mrs X and its decision to end its homelessness duty to her. Following a review, the Council has reversed its decision and accepted it still owes her a housing duty. We cannot add to the Council’s investigation. Further investigation would not lead to a different outcome.

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

Summary: We found fault with the Council for failing to organise Y’s annual review of their Education, Health and Care plan. We also found fault with the Council for failing to ensure Y was entered for their GCSE grade assessment. This caused Y significant distress. The Council agreed actions to remedy the injustice.

Summary: there was fault by the Council in that it delayed in providing the complainant with an advocate. However, this did not cause him injustice as when the advocate was appointed he did not use them to assist him with his communication with the Council

Summary: We cannot investigate this complaint about the Council’s removal of Mrs X’s child. The matter complained of is not separable from matters that were before a court.