Summary: We will not investigate this complaint that the Council delayed in replacing Ms Y’s washing machine and completing plumbing repairs to her home. That is because there is insufficient evidence of fault to warrant further investigation.

The complaint

1. Mr X complained on behalf of his neighbour Ms Y. He said the Council delayed in:
• Replacing her washing machine after he had reported it broken.
• Replacing a missing shower head.
• Mending a leaking hot tap.
2. He said the Council’s actions meant Ms Y was left without a washing machine for several months; that she could not shower properly, and she was paying for water she was not using.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

3. The Ombudsman investigates 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 may decide not to continue with an investigation if we decide:

• there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating, and
• any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement.

(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6))

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How I considered this complaint

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

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My assessment

6. The Council is responsible for Ms Y’s financial affairs through a Deputyship. Ms Y is also supported by a care agency that visits her four times daily.
7. The Council said the care provider contacted it in June 2021 about the broken washing machine. The care provider agreed to take Ms Y’s clothes to the launderette whilst the Council arranged a new washing machine. That was delivered at the end of June but could not be installed because of an issue with a tap.
8. The Council commissioned a plumbing service to fix the tap and it installed the washing machine at the end of September.
9. Mr X complained to the Council in October 2021 about the issues with the washing machine and shower. The Council said it would follow up the plumbing issues. The Council sent Mr X confirming what they had discussed in mid-October.
10. The plumbing service completed a further visit at the end of October to re-route the washing machine waste and to repair the hot tap. The Council said it completed a visit at the start of November and there were no outstanding concerns about these repairs. As the Council replaced the washing machine and repaired the tap there is insufficient evidence of fault to justify further investigation.
11. The Council has confirmed that the care agency provides support to Ms Y with washing as part of her personal care. Therefore, we will not investigate Mr Y’s complaint about the lack of shower head further as it has not caused Ms Y a significant injustice.
12. The Council said there was a delay in reimbursing Mr X for his personal expenditure after he arranged a plumber to visit Ms Y’s property. It states it will reimburse that money promptly.

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Final decision

13. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because there is not enough evidence of fault to justify us investigating.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman