Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how a care provider and the Council considered Miss X’s safeguarding disclosures or provided her with support to move to different accommodation. Further investigation by us would not lead to a different outcome and there is no worthwhile outcome achievable by our involvement.

The complaint

1. Miss X complained about how a care provider and the Council considered her safeguarding disclosures. Miss X also complained neither organisation helped her to move to different accommodation.
2. Miss X said these matters caused her distress.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

3. 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:

• further investigation would not lead to a different outcome, or
• there is no worthwhile outcome achievable by our investigation.

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

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How I considered this complaint

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

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My assessment

6. Miss X lived in supported accommodation, ran by the care provider and commissioned by the Council. Miss X raised safeguarding disclosures but said neither organisation properly considered them.
7. The care provider investigated the disclosures and found the allegations to be unsubstantiated. It wrote to Miss X to tell her about this outcome.
8. Miss X went on to complain about this and raised further concerns about not receiving support to move to a different accommodation. The Council responded to this complaint.
9. In its response, the Council said the investigation by the care provider was thorough and it was satisfied the care provider reached a fair outcome.
10. However, it also acknowledged the care provider delayed telling Miss X about the outcome and said it could have provided Miss X with more detail to help her understand why the decision was made. The Council apologised for this and said it and the care provider had taken learning from this complaint.
11. The available evidence suggests a thorough and proportionate investigation into the disclosures was carried out. While I acknowledge Miss X’s dissatisfaction with this outcome, further investigation by the Ombudsman would not lead to a different one. Therefore, we will not investigate this part of the complaint.
12. Miss X also complained the Council and care provider did not help her to move to different accommodation.
13. In its complaint response, the Council explained reasons Miss X’s move took longer than she would have liked it to. However, said Miss X was not in the supported living accommodation for an unusually long period.
14. The Council acknowledged the care provider did not provide Miss X with effective communication about this issue and said it had taken learning from this complaint. Since then, Miss X has moved into different accommodation.
15. There is no worthwhile outcome achievable by us investigating this part of Miss X’s complaint. The Council said it has taken learning from the complaint which appears appropriate. Also, Miss X already achieved part of her desired outcome which was to move out of the supported living accommodation. For this reason, we will not investigate this part of the complaint.

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Final decision

16. We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint because further investigation by us would not lead to a different outcome and there is no worthwhile outcome achievable by our involvement.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman