Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council dealt with Mr X’s concerns raised with the Safeguarding Unit. This is because we are unlikely to find evidence of fault.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains that, as a disabled person suffering neighbour harassment and stalking by neighbours, the Council has failed to deal with his concerns under its safeguarding duties.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We investigate complaints of injustice caused by ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’. I have used the word fault to refer to these. We consider whether there was fault in the way an organisation made its decision. If there was no fault in how the organisation made its decision, we cannot question the outcome. (Local Government Act 1974, section 34(3), as amended)

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How I considered this complaint

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

My assessment

5. A council must make enquiries if it thinks a person may be at risk of abuse or neglect and has care and support needs which mean the person cannot protect themselves. An enquiry is the action taken by a council in response to a concern about abuse or neglect. An enquiry could range from a conversation with the person who is the subject of the concern, to a more formal multi-agency arrangement. A council must also decide whether it or another person or agency should take any action to protect the person from abuse. (section 42, Care Act 2014)
6. In late 2024, the Council wrote to Mr X advising that it had closed its safeguarding investigation. It listed its reasons as:

• several attempts by it to visit Mr X at home had been declined by him;
• the Safer Neighborhood Team did not find any evidence to back up Mr X’s reports;
• the Police found no grounds for action.
• Mr X should make reports to the Police or the Safer Neighborhood Team if he considered he was being harassed.

7. We will not investigate. I have considered the steps the Council took to consider Mr X’s concerns, and the information it took account of from other sections/agencies when deciding to close the case. There is no indication of fault in how it took the decision, and I therefore cannot question whether that decision was right or wrong.

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Final decision

8. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because we are unlikely to find evidence of fault.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman