LGO Individual Decisions

The Council failed to decide if it was “necessary” to provide appropriate free transport to enable Ms X’s adult daughter, Miss Y, to attend the college named in her Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan. It confused matters for adult learners, like Miss Y, who began their course after the age of 19, with the education transport rules for sixth form students. The Council’s amended Transport Policy 2024/2025 was not in line with the Education Act 1996 or case law for 19–25 year old learners with an EHC Plan. The faults caused Ms X avoidable frustration, avoidable time and trouble and uncertainty

We found the Council delayed for 13 months in arranging alternative educational provision from February 2024 after Mrs X’s child, Y, was unable to attend school. This is the second time we have found the Council at fault for failing to provide education to Y. This caused Y to miss out on a suitable education and caused Mrs X distress, frustration and uncertainty.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s assessment of Miss X’s application for housing as it is unlikely we will find fault by the Council.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about how the Council handled his application to join the housing register and reviewed his banding. This is because the complaint is late and there is no good reason to investigate now.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s refusal to investigate the behaviour of a Parish Councillor. There is not enough evidence of fault to justify an investigation. We cannot investigate the actions of Parish Councils.

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s decision to extend his dedicated dropped kerb to create a shared footway crossing with his neighbour in 2022. The complaint lies outside our jurisdiction because it is late and there are no good reasons to exercise discretion to consider it now.

Summary: We cannot investigate this complaint about the Council’s involvement in the care of Mrs X’s child. Most of the complaint relates to matters considered in court, which the law prevents us from investigating. Events before May 2024 are late. There is insufficient evidence of fault in more recent events we could consider, and in any event we could not achieve the outcome Mrs X seeks.

Summary: Mrs F complained about how the Council has handled her homelessness. The Council has accepted there was a delay in placing Mrs F in temporary accommodation. This caused Mrs F distress whilst she was awaiting eviction. The Council has already made a symbolic payment to remedy this injustice.

Summary: Ms X complained about the Council’s actions after she told it she was a victim of domestic abuse. We find the Council at fault in its handling of her initial approach, including its treatment of her at its offices, its failure to complete a Domestic Abuse, Stalking and Honour Based Violence risk assessment, and its failure to provide interim accommodation without delay. We also find fault in the Council’s delay in accepting the relief and main housing duties, its failure to properly consider the suitability of the interim accommodation and unsafe areas, its failure to inform Ms X of h

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decisions on the payment of council tax support, single person discount and the liability for council tax payments. It was reasonable for Ms X to appeal to the Valuation Tribunal to challenge these decisions.

Summary: The Council was at fault for the time taken to issue an Education, Health and Care Plan for Ms X’s child and for not putting in place suitable education when the child was out of school. This meant the child had to wait much longer than they should for support with their special educational needs and missed out on education they should have received. To remedy the injustice caused the Council agreed to apologise, make payments to recognise the loss of education, special educational provision and delays issuing an Education, Health and Care Plan. The Council also agreed to carry out a

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s response to a report of fly-tipping. The injustice is not significant enough to warrant our involvement.

Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about the support provided by the Council’s homelessness service. The Council has since ended its housing duty to Ms X and if she disagrees with this decision, she has a right of review. An investigation would not lead to a different outcome or achieve anything more.

Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about how the Council has responded to her concerns about large trees in a neighbouring garden, and how it has dealt with her complaint. Ms X’s complaint about the Council up to 2023 is late and there are no good reasons for us to investigate it now. Her complaint about more recent events is premature for us to investigate. We also cannot achieve the outcome Ms X seeks.

Summary: We cannot investigate Miss X’s complaint that the Council failed to provide education to her child, Y, or the content of Y’s Education, Health and Care Plan to them between April 2023 and July 2024 because Miss X appealed to a tribunal, and the law says we cannot investigate.

Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about information the Council has recorded about her and her children. The Council has already amended its records for Miss X’s family. There is not enough evidence of remaining fault to justify our involvement.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision to restrict the complainants contact under its unreasonable behaviour policy. This is because the injustice caused is not significant enough to justify our involvement.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about accuracy of information held by the Council. The Information Commissioner is better placed to consider and decide Mr X’s complaint.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about a student exemption from Council tax because there is a right of appeal to a Valuation Tribunal.

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision to reject Miss X’s homelessness application. There is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council which would warrant an investigation.

Summary: The Council was at fault. It failed to inform Mr X it would not proceed with his Council Tax disability band reduction application if he failed to provide information it requested. Although this did not cause Mr X an injustice the Council agreed to make service improvements to prevent this happening again to other applicants. There was no fault in how it handled Mr X’s Blue Badge application.

Summary: We will not investigate Ms Z’s complaint about the Council’s issuing of multiple Penalty Charge Notices and how it handled her complaint. The Council has cancelled and refunded most of the charges, so there is insufficient outstanding injustice to justify investigating these. There is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating Ms Z’s outstanding concerns. It is not a good use of public resources to investigate complaints about complaint procedures alone.

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

Summary: The Council was at fault for delaying assessing Ms X for adaptations to her property. As a result Ms X has not been able to wash properly and has had to wait much longer than she should for the Council to agree to adaptations. To remedy the injustice caused the Council agreed to apologise to Ms X, make a payment to her to recognise the delays she experienced and carry out a service improvement.

Summary: Mrs X complained the Council failed to complete her child’s Education, Health and Care Plan within the statutory timescales. We find the Council at fault for delay, which caused uncertainty and distress. The Council has agreed to apologise and make a payment to Mrs X. It should also review its action plan to ensure Education, Health and Care Plan writing is conducted in line with the timescales set out in statutory guidance.