Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s actions regarding reasonable adjustments provided to Mr B by the Council acting in its role as landlord or its decision to provide him with a single point of contact. This is because the complaint does not meet the tests in our Assessment Code on how we decide which complaints to investigate. There is not enough evidence of fault with the Council’s decision to provide Mr B with a single point of contact.

The complaint

1. Mr B complained the Council failed to provide the reasonable adjustments he wanted when dealing with his complaints about his tenancy. In addition, Mr B says the Council should not have given him a single point of contact

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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 effect on the person making the complaint, which we call ‘injustice’. We provide a free service, but must use public money carefully. We may decide not to start an investigation if the tests set out in our Assessment Code are not met.(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended)

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How I considered this complaint

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

My assessment

5. Mr B complained to the Housing Ombudsman about the actions of the Council regarding his tenancy. The Housing Ombudsman advised Mr B it was unable to consider his reasonable adjustments and advised him to go to court or to a tribunal. We cannot consider any matters relating to his complaint about the Housing Management Service including reasonable adjustments because it is outside of our jurisdiction.
6. Mr B complained he had been given a single point of contact. The Council wrote to Mr B on 7 June explaining why it had issued him with a single point of contact and again on 2 July explaining its decision to remove the arrangement. It explained to Mr B it was unable to sustain the number of emails and correspondence different departments received from him and advised him how to complain and who to contact regarding the established routes. It advised Mr B if he did not comply it may need to implement further restrictions. We could not say this is fault.

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Final decision

7. We will not investigate Mr B’s complaint because there is not enough evidence of fault with the actions taken by the Council to warrant an Ombudsman investigation.

Investigator’s decision on behalf of the Ombudsman

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman