The Ombudsman's final decision
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s school to home transport service. This is because an investigation would be unlikely to result in a different outcome.
The complaint
Mrs X complained that the Council’s home to school transport service has been inconsistent for several months and the Council has failed to effectively address the complaints she has raised about this.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’, which we call ‘fault’. We must also consider whether any fault has had an adverse impact on the person making the complaint, which we call ‘injustice’. We provide a free service, but must use public money carefully. We do not start or continue an investigation if we decide: we could not add to any previous investigation by the organisation, or further investigation would not lead to a different outcome.
(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))
How I considered this complaint
I considered information provided by Mrs X and the Council.
I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
Until recently Mrs X was on the Council’s fare paying scheme to allow her child to use the Council’s home to school transport bus.
She complained to the Council about the transport service citing a number of problems her child had experienced including the bus arriving late or not arriving at all.
The Council investigated Mrs X’s complaint and upheld her complaint. The Council explained the bus had not turned up on two occasions and it had responded to this by issuing a verbal warning to the bus operator and instating monitoring on the bus route over a period of several months. The Council also advised it was reviewing its policy and considering other ways to improve the service.
Mrs X wants the Ombudsman to find the Council at fault. The Council has investigated the complaints she has raised and conceded fault. It has explained why the issues occurred and taken action to address the shortfalls in service she experienced. These were reasonable actions for the Council to take. An investigation would therefore be unlikely to result in a different outcome.
Final decision
We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint because an investigation would be unlikely to result in a different outcome.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman