Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s involvement with Mr X and his care. This is because an investigation would be unlikely to lead to a worthwhile outcome.

The complaint

1. Mr X raised multiple complaints regarding the Council’s involvement with his care while he was in the hospital.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. 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 organization, or
• there is no worthwhile outcome achievable by our investigation.

(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))

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How I considered this complaint

3. I considered information provided by Mr X and the Council.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Mr X complained to the Council regarding its involvement with him and his partner following his stay in hospital. He raised several concerns regarding the Council’s records and its social workers.
6. After some delay the Council responded to Mr X’s complaint. It did not uphold most of the complaint points but made changes to its records based on the complaint points it did uphold.
7. The evidence shows the Council has thoroughly responded to Mr X’s complaint with a full investigation and appropriate remedies where needed. This is what we would expect the Council to do. There is no evidence an investigation would provide anything worthwhile for Mr X.

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Final decision

8. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because an investigation would be unlikely to lead to a worthwhile outcome.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman