Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about the Council delaying in sending her minutes of a meeting. There is insignificant injustice caused to her.

The complaint

1. The complainant, whom I shall call Ms X, says the Council delayed in providing her with the minutes from a looked after care review meeting for her child.

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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 effect 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 an investigation if we decide the tests set out in our Assessment Code are not met. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended)

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How I considered this complaint

3. I considered information provided by Ms X and the Council.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
5. I considered Ms X’s comments on a draft version of this decision.

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My assessment

6. Ms X says the Council delayed until mid November in sending her the minutes from a ‘looked after child’ care review meeting held in September.
7. There is not enough injustice directly flowing from this delay to Ms X to justify an investigation nor to recommend any remedy.

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Final decision

8. We will not investigate this complaint. This is because there is not enough injustice caused by the claimed fault.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman