Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council dealt with her leaving care grant. This is because the Council has agreed to consider Ms X’s complaint at stage 3 of the statutory children’s complaints procedure.

The complaint

1. Ms X complains the Council has failed to provide her with a breakdown of how her leaving care grant has been spent. Ms X says the Council has failed to provide her with proper support as a care leaver.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. The Ombudsman investigates 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 may decide not to continue with an investigation if we decide it would be reasonable for the person to ask for a council review or appeal. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6))

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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. Ms X was unhappy with the Council’s investigation of her complaint a stage 2 of the statutory children’s complaints process. She asked the Council to consider her complaint at stage 3 however the Council suspended its consideration of complaints at stage 3 of the process because of the impact of Covid-19 pandemic.
6. The Council has said it is now able to consider stage 3 complaints and will now consider Ms X’s request. We will not investigate this complaint because the Council has now agreed to consider the complaint. However Ms X may complain to the Ombudsman if she is unhappy with the Council’s response. She may also raise a complaint about any delays in responding to her complaint at that time as well.

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Final decision

7. We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint because the Council has agreed to consider the complaint at stage 3 of the statutory children’s complaints procedure.

Investigator’s decision on behalf of the Ombudsman

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman