LGO Individual Decisions

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about how the Council has managed his personal data and how it dealt with his request for information. This is because the Information Commissioner is better placed to consider these matters.

Summary: Mrs X complained about the Council’s failure to make timely direct payments to her, for her child B’s educational provision. She also complained about the Council’s failure to conduct an Education, Health and Care Plan annual review. Mrs X said the Council failed to deal with her complaint properly. We found the Council was at fault. Mrs X suffered undue frustration and uncertainty because of this. The Council has agreed to apologise to Mrs X, make a symbolic payment to her and improve its services.

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

Summary: We uphold a complaint the Council was at fault for not ensuring Ms G’s daughter had greater access to education, between April and October 2024. This resulted in a loss of provision. It also failed to answer Ms G’s first complaint about this matter putting her to unnecessary time and trouble. The Council accepted these findings and at the end of this statement, we set out actions it agreed to take to remedy this injustice.

Summary: The Council was at fault as it did not issue Mrs X’s child Y’s amended Education, Health and Care Plan within statutory timescales after their annual review. It was also at fault for its poor communication. It will apologise and make a symbolic payment to Mrs X to recognise the avoidable frustration caused.

Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about how the Council managed a personal budget for her child. This is because we are satisfied with the actions the Council has taken.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision to name a school in an Education, Health, and Care Plan. This is because

Summary: Mr A complains his mother’s estate has been invoiced for a care home stay which should have been covered by discharge to assess funding. He also complains his mother was not referred to the Integrated Care Board for continuing healthcare funding. We will not investigate this complaint because an investigation is unlikely to find fault with the Council. The NHS Trust has not yet had an opportunity to respond to Mr A’s complaint.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council allowing trees to be planted in neighbouring gardens, not contacting him when they were being planted, and it not dealing with his High Hedge complaint. Any complaints about events or Council processes while the trees were planted are late and there are no good reasons for us to investigate them now. There is not enough evidence of fault in the Council’s High Hedge decision to warrant us investigating.

Summary: The Council was at fault as it delayed ensuring Ms X’s child Y received all the provision within their Education, Health and Care Plan and its communication was poor. The Council has agreed to apologise to Ms X and Y and to make a payment to acknowledge the distress and frustration this caused.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision not to provide school transport to Mrs X’s child. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault by the Council.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the actions of the Council’s children’s services. This is because it concerns matters that have been considered in court.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision to remove a tree. This is because the Council has already provided a satisfactory remedy and there are no wider public interest issues that justify investigating.

Summary: We will not investigate part of Mrs X’s complaint about the Council’s failure to secure the content of her child’s Education, Health and Care Plan or provide alternative provision because it is late. We will not investigate these matters after July 2024 because there is insufficient evidence of fault. We will not investigate the remainder because Mrs X has a right to appeal to a tribunal.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision to withdraw free home-to-school transport, affecting Mrs X’s child. The Council upheld her subsequent appeal, so investigation would no longer be likely to find potential injustice to Mrs X.

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

Summary: The Council delayed taking the action it said it would at mediation and delayed progressing an annual review of Ms X's child's Education, Health and Care Plan. These faults caused Ms X and her child frustration and uncertainty. To recognise the injustice caused, the Council has agreed to apologise and pay Ms X £250.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about a delay in validating a planning application because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.

Summary: The Council failed to arrange the education and additional support in Ms X’s child’s Education, Health and Care Plan. As a result, Ms X’s child missed out on additional support including social integration opportunities. Ms X’s child did not miss out on education, as Ms X funded her child’s education herself for several months at a time before being reimbursed by the Council. This arrangement was further fault and caused Ms X significant, avoidable distress. To recognise the injustice caused, the Council has agreed to apologise to Ms X and her child, pay Ms X £1,000 and take action to

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about a Council tax premium because the complainant appealed to a Valuation Tribunal and a further right of appeal to the Valuation Tribunal was available.

We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint the Council has failed to provide suitable alternative educational provision for her child. This is because the Council correctly explained to Miss X that the responsibility for providing education fell with a different council. There is not enough evidence of fault by the Council to justify investigating.

Summary: Mrs X complained the Council has failed to challenge care providers when they would not accept Miss Y into their care home because of her learning disability. We found there is no evidence of fault in the Council’s actions.

Summary: We cannot investigate this complaint that the police interviewed children without parental consent, and the Council misadvised the school. This is because we do not have the power to investigate the actions of the police. For those complaints within our jurisdiction, further investigation would not lead to a different outcome.

Summary: Mrs X complained about the Council’s handling of her report of a breach of planning control near her home. We found no fault in how the Council decided not to take enforcement action. But there was fault in both the Council’s poor communication with Mrs X and its complaints handling. To address the avoidable frustration and time and trouble caused by those faults, the Council agreed to apologise and make a symbolic payment to Mrs X.

Summary: Mr B complained that the Council delayed in completing an Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment and issuing an EHC Plan for his son C. He also complained that the Council did not make any alternative educational provision for C during this period. We found fault causing injustice. The Council has agreed to apologise to Mr B and C and make a symbolic payment of £2250.