Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about an incident when the wrong school transport vehicle collected her child. This is because it is unlikely our involvement would add to the Council’s investigation or achieve a different outcome.

The complaint

1. The complainant, whom I shall refer to as Miss X, complained the wrong school transport vehicle collected her child (Y) causing distress. Miss X says the Council was wrong to discuss the situation with her neighbour and is unhappy with the Council’s financial remedy.

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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. (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 and the Council.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. In response to Miss X’s complaint the Council said the crew of the vehicle should have checked Y’s name against their passenger list. It said the crew had been reminded of this and it had issued them with a warning. The Council also said it was wrong for the operator to discuss the situation with Miss X’s neighbour. It had raised this with the member of staff. The Council accepted the service provided did not meet the standards expected. It apologised and offered £250.
6. I recognise how upsetting the incident which led to Miss X’s complaint must have been. We will not, however, start an investigation into Miss X’s complaint. This is because there is not anything we could add to the Council’s response. It has explained what happened, apologised, and set out the steps taken to avoid it happening again. It has offered a financial remedy. These are the things we would expect the Council to do. Investigation would not lead to a different outcome, and our further involvement is not therefore warranted.

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Final decision

7. We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint because our involvement would not add to the Council’s response or achieve a different outcome.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman