Nottingham City Council (19 018 763)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 20-Mar-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Mr D’s complaint about the conduct of staff when he attended an inquest. Further consideration of the complaint would not achieve any more for Mr D.

Sedgemoor District Council (19 018 754)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 19-Mar-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint that the District Council gave incorrect advice to a Parish Council clerk about how freedom of information responses should be sent. This is because the complainant has not suffered a significant personal injustice as a result of the alleged fault by the Council.

Essex County Council (19 007 916)

Statement Upheld Other 18-Mar-2020

Summary: Mrs C complains that two Council-commissioned alcohol treatment and recovery services failed to provide her sister’s late partner, Mr B, with appropriate ‘dual diagnosis’ (alcohol dependence and coexisting bipolar affective disorder) support and treatment. Mrs C says as a result Mr B was unable to maintain permanent abstinence from alcohol and this contributed to his death. The Ombudsman has found fault in some of the communication to Mr B and his family but is satisfied the actions already taken by the provider together with an apology and a service improvement review by the Council provide a suitable remedy.

Allerdale Borough Council (19 017 733)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 18-Mar-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about the management of Wigton Cemetery because the responsible bodies, parish and town councils, are outside the Ombudsman’s jurisdiction. Allerdale Borough Council will write to Ms X about her standards complaint against the town councillors.

Royal Borough of Greenwich (19 018 799)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 18-Mar-2020

Summary: Mr B complains about the Council’s failure to respond to his complaint about matters relating to his requests for information. The Ombudsman will not investigate the complaint because the Information Commissioner has already dealt with the substantive matter and there are insufficient grounds to warrant an investigation by the Ombudsman of the secondary matters.

Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames (19 018 813)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 17-Mar-2020

Summary: Miss X complains the Council lied to her in response to an information request she made to it. This has been addressed by the Information Commissioner’s Office and the Ombudsman cannot add to what it has already said. The Ombudsman will not therefore investigate.

Cambridge City Council (19 017 408)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 16-Mar-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman cannot investigate this complaint about an aborted private vehicle sale involving the complainant and a Council officer. This is because the Council officer was not performing an administrative function on behalf of the Council.

East Suffolk Council (19 020 488)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 12-Mar-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint about the Council restricting the complainant’s contact with it. It is unlikely the Ombudsman would find evidence of fault by the Council.

East Sussex County Council (19 009 618)

Statement Upheld Other 12-Mar-2020

Summary: Mr X complains the Council unfairly restricted his access to its service, causing him distress. The Ombudsman finds fault in the Council’s decision making process and recommends the Council lifts the restriction, pays Mr X £100 for distress and takes action to prevent recurrence.

Sunderland City Council (19 012 004)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 12-Mar-2020

Summary: Mr X complains about the quality of service he received from the Council when it represented him at a lower tribunal hearing for Personal Independence Payments. The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint. We cannot consider matters relating to tribunal decisions. And any injustice he may have suffered is remedied by his case being reheard by the Lower Tribunal and its new decision to award him higher payments.