LGO Individual Decisions

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about a street sign the Council installed outside his house because there is insufficient evidence of fault.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr B’s complaint that the Council is failing to maintain local roads. This is because it is reasonable for Mr B to apply to court for an order requiring the Council to repair these roads.

Summary: We will not investigate Ms B’s complaint that her window was damaged when a Council worker was cutting grass. This is because it is reasonable for Ms B to pursue her compensation claim by taking the Council to court.

Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about delays in billing for adult social care costs because the complaint is late and there are no good reasons to investigate now. Even if we did agree to investigate, it is unlikely this would achieve a different outcome to the one proposed by the Council during its complaints process.

Summary: Mrs X complained about the Council’s investigation into safeguarding concerns raised about her as a foster carer. The Council investigated Mrs X's complaints under the statutory children’s complaints procedure without fault. However, it failed to provide an appropriate remedy to recognise the injustice the faults caused. It also delayed providing Mrs X with copies of documents which it agreed to do following the conclusion of the complaints process. The Council agreed to make a symbolic payment to Mrs X to recognise the distress and uncertainty caused.

Summary: We have found the Council at fault for failing to consider its Section 19 duties when Mrs X reported that her son, Y was unable to attend school due to ill health. The delay in securing suitable alternative provision caused Y to miss out on suitable education for 5 months. The Council has agreed to apologise and make a symbolic payment to remedy this injustice.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of Mr X’s council tax. This is because his complaint is late and there is no good reason to investigate it now.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about how the Council has dealt with his requests for information. The Information Commissioner is better placed to deal with the matter.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about a Council tax discount and fine because there is a right of appeal to a Valuation Tribunal.

Summary: We cannot investigate Mrs X’s complaint about information the Council obtained and considered before reaching the decision not to carry out an Education Health and Care needs assessment for her child. This is because Mrs X has used her right of appeal to a tribunal

Summary: Miss Y complained the Council failed to take a full assessment of Mr X’s needs which led to it wrongly deciding he did not have any eligible care and support needs. She also complained

Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about the Council’s decision to remove children from her care. The law prevents us from investigating anything that has been the subject of court proceedings. We also could not add to the Council’s investigation and responses under all three stages of the statutory complaints process.

Summary: There is no fault in the Council’s decision not to provide alternative education when Ms M withdrew her son B from school. In any event, Ms M had a right of appeal to the Tribunal. The Council has taken too long to amend B’s EHC Plan, but the Council has already offered a suitable remedy for the impact of the delay.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about traffic problems near to a school as the Council has committed to carrying out a traffic consultation and it is unlikely we could add to this or achieve any meaningful outcome.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about a parking penalty charge notice as it could have been appealed via the Traffic Penalty Tribunal.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council deciding not to do work to the grass verge on the highway outside his house. There is not enough evidence of fault in the Council’s decision‑making process, nor significant personal injustice caused to Mr X by the matters complained of, to warrant us investigating. We also cannot achieve the outcome Mr X wants.

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about her uncle Mr Y’s care provision at a home commissioned by the Council, how the Council investigated her concerns, and delays in its complaint process. An investigation could not add to the Councils investigation nor lead to a different outcome. We cannot achieve the main personal remedy Mrs X seeks for Mr Y. We do not investigate complaints about councils’ complaint handling where we are not investigating the core matters giving rise to the complaint.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about care charges incurred by his father. The Council has agreed to a proportionate way to resolve the complaint.

Summary: Mr X complained the Council lost evidence, delayed and didn’t adequately investigate his reports of noise nuisance from a barking dog. The Council has not retained all the documents relating to this case causing frustration and uncertainty. However, the Council has now investigated the complaints and found no evidence of a statutory nuisance.

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

Summary: We cannot investigate Mrs X’s complaint about the Council’s handling of her planning application. This is because Mrs X has used her right of appeal to the Planning Inspector and we cannot investigate any complaint about the Council’s actions as part of her appeal.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s failure to enforce its conditions of tenancy on Mrs X’s neighbours. We cannot investigate complaints about the management of tenancies by social housing landlords.

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about the Council’s civic enforcement team’s involvement in 2021. The complaint is late, and there are no good reasons for the Ombudsman to investigate now.

Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaints about the Council's involvement in a report used in court. This is because the complaint does not meet the tests in our Assessment Code on how we decide which complaints to investigate. We have no remit to consider matters in connection with court reports.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about Lifeline services provided to meet adult social care needs. The Council accepted fault and has taken satisfactory action to acknowledge the impact on the complainant and improve future service. There is not enough evidence to suggest a wider problem that would justify investigation.