Summary: We will not investigate this whistle-blowing complaint about matters principally involving staff safety at temporary accommodation contracted by the Council. We are not a responsible body for whistle-blowing complaints and other bodies are better placed than us to deal with this matter.

The complaint

1. Miss X said the Council refused to escalate her whistle-blowing complaint about matters at temporary accommodation contracted by the Council

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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 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 another body better placed to consider this complaint.

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

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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.

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My assessment

5. Miss X is clear that her complaint is a whistle-blowing complaint. We are not a responsible body for whistle-blowing complaints. These bodies are listed on the Gov.uk website.
6. While we may occasionally exercise discretion to consider a whistle-blowing complaint if we think there is a good reason, that is not the case here. The matters Miss X complained of relate principally to the safety and conditions of staff working at the accommodation, rather than to members of the public.

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Final decision

7. We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint because there are other bodies better placed than us to consider it.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman