Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about support the Council provided to her. There is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating.

The complaint

1. Miss X complained the Council did not provide her with appropriate support whilst her child was under a supervision order. She said this has had a negative impact on her mental health and finances. She wanted the Council to provide financial reimbursement, fund private therapy and a careers course.

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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. (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 Miss X and the Council’s complaint responses.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Miss X complained the Council did not provide her with support while her child was under a supervision order. She said the Council was asked by the Court to provide her with therapy, and the Council did not provide her with financial assistance.
6. In its complaint response, the Council said the Court had ordered it to consider funding private therapy for Miss X. The Council said it had considered private therapy, but because mental health support was available to Miss X via the NHS, it would not approve expenditure for private therapy.
7. The Council apologised to Miss X for any confusion about the type of financial assistance it could provide. It explained to Miss X that it could not refund her rent top up payments because this had not been an assessed need. It also explained that it could not help Miss X with a rent deposit and advance because this had not been part of her agreed support plan.
8. Miss X also asked the Council to provide funding for a training course. In its complaint response, the Council explained that it would not be able to provide funding for a training course.
9. We will not investigate this complaint because there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating. The Council explained to Miss X that it would not approve private therapy when support was available via the NHS. It also explained why it could not meet Miss X’s requests for financial support with rent and training costs.

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Final decision

10. We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint because there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman