Summary: Miss X says she failed to receive appropriate support and assistance when she complained to the Council’s social services section about the Council’s repairs section. We will not investigate as we are unlikely to achieve anything further.

The complaint

1. Miss X complained about the failure of the Council’s social services section to respond appropriately to her when she was having difficulties with the Council’s repairs section.
2. Miss X says she is a person in need of care and support and the social services section ignored her emails sent from September to October 2022.

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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 we cannot achieve anything further. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6))

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How I considered this complaint

4. I considered the information provided by the complainant, the Council and our decision on her previous complaint 22011294.
5. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

6. While we have no jurisdiction to consider complaints about Council housing repairs the Council has responded to Miss X’s concerns about the repairs issues and provided compensation for its failings.
7. I note the above to provide background context to Miss X’s complaint about social services failing to assist her at a time she needed support.
8. Turning to this complaint, the Council’s social services department has now carried out a carer’s assessment of Miss X’s needs and offered her a Direct Payment to meet any needs. It says Miss X turned down the offer of a Direct Payment.
9. I will not investigate as the Council has now responded appropriately even if it responded after some delay. There is nothing further to be achieved by the Ombudsman investigating.

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Final decision

10. We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint because we are unlikely to achieve anything further by investigating.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman