Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about a home to school transport taxi driver having the wrong address. The Council apologised and we are unlikely to achieve a significantly different outcome.

The complaint

1. Miss X says the Council gave a home to school transport taxi the wrong address.

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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:

• 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), as amended, section 34(B))

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How I considered this complaint

3. I considered information provided by Miss X which included the Council’s reply to her.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Miss X’s child, B, receives free home to school transport. Miss X moved home in July 2024. She says she gave the Council her new address. In September the taxi driver who conducted the home to school transport did not have the right address. This was quickly resolved.
6. Miss X complained to the Council. It apologised and explained how this had happened. Miss X complained to us. She said the taxi driver nearly took B to the wrong address. She is not satisfied by the apology.
7. If we were to investigate this complaint it is unlikely we would achieve more than the apology already given. The Council’s reply is a proportionate response to the complaint.

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Final decision

8. We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint because we are unlikely to achieve a significantly different outcome.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman