Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council not telling Mrs X it had changed her child’s caseworker. This is because the complaint does not meet the tests in our Assessment Code on how we decide which complaints to investigate. It is unlikely we could add anything to the Council’s response.

The complaint

1. The complainant, Mrs X, complained the Council did not tell her it had changed her child’s caseworker. This meant Mrs X did not know who to contact. Mrs X says she has had a similar problem before, and the Council’s approach has not improved. Mrs X is also unhappy with the way the Council dealt with her complaint.

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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 effect 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 an investigation if we decide the tests set out in our Assessment Code are not met. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended)

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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 Mrs X’s complaint the Council has said it will make sure its teams are kept up to date with staffing changes. It apologised for any confusion and confirmed the name of the new caseworker. The Council accepted its communications could have been better and apologised again.
6. We will not start an investigation into Mrs X’s complaint. This is because it is unlikely we could add anything further to the Council’s response. Also, while I understand Mrs X’s frustrations, any fault by the Council or injustice to Mrs X is not significant enough to warrant an investigation. Mrs X is unhappy with the Council’s responses to her complaints, but we will not investigate complaint handling as a standalone issue if we are not going to look at the issue which led to the original complaint. That is the case here.

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Final decision

7. We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint because it is unlikely an investigation would add anything to the Council’s response.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman