Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s process for adult social care charges because it is late.

The complaint

1. Mrs X complains that the Council did not follow the correct process for the care of her mother and it provided incorrect information regarding housing options and prices. Mrs X also says that the Council repeatedly sent correspondence to an incorrect address.
2. Mrs X says that this has caused constant worry during an already difficult period.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

3. 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)

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How I considered this complaint

4. I considered information provided by the complainant.
5. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

6. Mrs X first complained to the Council in March 2022 regarding events dating back to 2021. The Council responded to this complaint in full and did not uphold the complaint. It is reasonable to expect Mrs X to have escalated the complaint at this stage if she was not happy with the Council response.
7. Mrs X did not progress this complaint until 2023, more than 12 months after the initial complaint, so the Council refused to escalate the complaint at this stage.
8. We will not investigate this complaint. Mrs X was aware of the matters relating to her complaint in 2021, which is significantly more than 12 months ago. I can see no good reason why she did not complain to us earlier. Therefore, the complaint is late and I will not exercise my discretion and investigate.

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Final decision

9. We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint because it is late.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman