London Borough of Lewisham (21 008 728)
Category : Education > School transport
Decision : Closed after initial enquiries
Decision date : 10 Nov 2021
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint how the Council handled the complainant’s travel assistance application. This is because the Council has now agreed to the complainant’s request and an investigation could not achieve anything more.
The complaint
- The complainant, whom I refer to here as Ms X, says that the transport application process for her daughter was protracted, obstructive and bureaucratic. According to Ms X the Council failed to consider supporting documents and to contact professionals supporting her daughter. This caused distress to Ms X and meant that she had to make alternative transport arrangements for the first week of her daughter’s school.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
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 further investigation could not achieve anything more.
(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6))
How I considered this complaint
- I considered information provided by Ms X and the Council.
- I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- Ms X appealed the Council’s decision refusing to provide travel assistance for her daughter who has special educational needs. At the stage 2 of the appeal process the Council accepted Ms X’s arguments and based on all the evidence agreed to comply with her request.
- Because the Council has now agreed to provide free transport, we will not investigate Ms X’s complaint. This is because we could not achieve anything more.
Final decision
We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint because the Council has now agreed to her request and an investigation could not achieve anything more.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman