Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about the Council introducing a new invoicing process for Adult Social Care services. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault to warrant further investigation and we could not achieve the outcome she would like.

The complaint

1. Mrs X said the Council introduced a new invoicing process for Adult Social Care services which she said were confusing. She said the old invoices were much easier to understand.
2. Mrs X also complained it was difficult to contact the Council about this matter.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

3. 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:

• there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating, or
• further investigation would not lead to a different outcome, or
• we cannot achieve the outcome someone wants.

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

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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 complained about the format of the Council’s new invoices. She also said when there are problems with invoices, it was hard to resolve these and speak with the Council because the phone lines are busy and phone calls are not answered.
7. In their response, the Council apologised and explained it had corrected mistakes from previous invoices sent to Mrs X.
8. The Council explained it was aware of feedback on the new invoicing process and said it was working to improve the process.
9. While Mrs X may have preferred the previous invoicing format, there is no evidence to suggest fault in the Council’s decision to introduce a new system. Mrs X wants the Council to go back to the old invoice system. We are not able to tell the Council to do this. Therefore, an investigation would not lead to the outcome Mrs X seeks.
10. The Council has already apologised for Mrs X’s difficulties in contacting the billing team and offered a solution for this.

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Final decision

11. We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint because there is not enough evidence of fault to warrant further investigation and we could not achieve the outcome Mrs X would like.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman