Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the way the Council considered safeguarding concerns raised by Mr B. There is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating and an investigation by us would not lead to a different outcome.

The complaint

1. Mr B complains about the way the Council considered safeguarding concerns he raised in relation to a vulnerable adult he lived with. He says the Council did not take his concerns seriously and did not properly investigate the issues. He says the Council’s actions caused him distress. He wants the Council to follow the correct procedures and have appropriate training.

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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 not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating, or
• we could not add to any previous investigation by the organisation, or
• further investigation would not lead to a different outcome.

(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 including the Council’s response to his complaint.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. When the Council responded to Mr B’s complaint it confirmed what it had done to investigate the safeguarding concerns he had raised. It also explained why it could not enforce how much care and support a person chose to receive and why it was satisfied it did not need to take any further action. There is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating this complaint.
6. We will not investigate this complaint. The Council accepted the concerns raised by Mr B and then provided him with a written explanation to show how it had investigated the issues. It is unlikely an investigation by us would lead to a different outcome or achieve anything more.

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Final decision

7. We will not investigate Mr B’s complaint because there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating. It is unlikely an investigation by us would lead to a different outcome or achieve anything more.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman