Summary: We will not investigate matters relating to Miss X’s mother which occurred in 2017 and 2018. Nor will we investigate another complaint about her mother’s Adult Social Care assessment which the Council carried out in 2023. We have already considered most of these complaints. The other complaints are late. We will also not investigate Miss X’s complaints about her personal data. We have already informed her the Information Commissioner’s Office is better placed to deal with these.

The complaint

1. Miss X complains the Council:
• did not provide her with support or signpost her to appropriate help and failed to recognise signs she was struggling between 2017 - 2023;
• did not talk to her mother without her partner being present when it carried out an Adult Social Care assessment in 2023; and
• failed to properly handle her personal data requests in 2023.
2. Miss X says this has had a significant impact on her wellbeing and she is unable to see her mother.
3. She wants the Council to listen to her views.

Back to top

The Ombudsman’s role and powers

4. We cannot investigate late complaints unless we decide there are good reasons. Late complaints are when someone takes more than 12 months to complain to us about something a council has done. (Local Government Act 1974, sections 26B and 34D, as amended)

Back to top

How I considered this complaint

5. I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
6. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

Back to top

My assessment

7. We have already considered most of Miss X’s complaints and will not do so again.
8. We will also not investigate the other complaints Miss X has raised. These all relate to events which occurred in 2023 or earlier and so they are late. I acknowledge Miss X says she has provided new information. However, this relates to new views she or others have on the same events. Therefore, this is not enough to persuade me to exercise discretion and investigate them now.
9. Miss X is unhappy with the outcome of her referrals to the Information Commissioner’s Office. However, that does not mean we either will or should investigate them.

Back to top

Final decision

10. We will not investigate Miss X’s complaints. We have either considered them already or they are late.

Back to top

Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman