Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about how the Council handled her applications for school places for her children. This is because Miss X’s children have now been offered places at her preferred school and so we could not achieve anything more.

The complaint

1. The complainant, whom I shall refer to as Miss X, complained the Council failed to offer her children places at the same school.

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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 further investigation would not lead to a different outcome. (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 the complainant.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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Final decision

5. We will not investigate this complaint. Miss X’s children have now been offered places at the same school. This is the outcome Miss X wanted and so we could not achieve anything more.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman