Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the conduct of a telephone call about school attendance. Investigation would be unlikely to lead to a worthwhile outcome.

The complaint

1. Miss X said a Council officer wrongly accused her of shouting during a telephone call.

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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:

• there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating, or
• any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement, or
• we could not add to any previous investigation by the organisation, or
• further investigation would not lead to a different outcome.

(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. Miss X and the Council do not agree about the tone and content of a telephone call made by an education welfare officer about the school attendance of Miss X’s daughter.

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Final decision

6. We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint because this would be unlikely to establish sufficient fault or injustice to lead to a worthwhile outcome.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman