Mrs A complained that Denbighshire Council (“the Council”)refused to accept her complaint because it said it had previously responded to the matters raised, and it related to issues that had already exhausted its complaint procedures.
The Ombudsman found that the Council wrongly determined it had already responded to the complaint. There was no evidence that Mrs A had previously submitted her complaint, or that the Council had responded to the matters raised. He said that this caused delays and frustration for Mrs A. He decided to settle the complaint without investigation.
The Ombudsman sought and gained the Council’s agreement to accept Mrs A’s complaint and provide a response in line with its complaint procedures.