Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Mr A’s complaint about the Council failing to offer a financial payment for the injustice he has suffered. This is because the Council has offered Mr A £500 for its failure to implement a transition plan plus an additional £250 for the time and trouble he has encountered pursuing a complaint. The Ombudsman is satisfied this remedies the injustice caused to Mr A.

The complaint

1. Mr A’s representative complained to the Ombudsman on his behalf following a full investigation by the Council into its failure to plan for his transition from children’s to adults’ services. Mr A was satisfied with the services the Council has agreed to implement following the investigation but felt he should receive a financial remedy.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’. In this statement, I have used the word ‘fault’ to refer to these. We must also consider whether any fault has had an adverse impact on the person making the complaint. I refer to this as ‘injustice’. We provide a free service, but must use public money carefully. We may decide not to start or continue with an investigation if we believe:

• it is unlikely we would find fault, or
• the fault has not caused injustice to the person who complained, or
• the injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement, or
• it is unlikely we could add to any previous investigation by the Council, or
• it is unlikely further investigation will lead to a different outcome.

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

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How I considered this complaint

3. I discussed the concerns with Mr A’s representative and considered the information she and the Council provided.

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What I found

4. Mr A asked the Ombudsman to consider whether he should receive a financial payment for the injustice caused to him from the Council’s failure to plan for his transition from children’s to adults’ services.
5. The Council agreed and offered Mr A a payment of £500 for the failure to plan for his transition to adulthood and the impact this had on him and £250 for his time and trouble pursuing the complaint.

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Final decision

6. The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint. This is because the Council has offered Mr A £500 for its failure to implement a transition plan plus an additional £250 for the time and trouble in pursuing a complaint. The Ombudsman is satisfied this remedies the injustice caused to Mr A.

Investigator’s final decision on behalf of the Ombudsman

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman