Surrey County Council (25 003 208)
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision not to award travel assistance to Miss X’s child Y. This is because the Council has remedied any injustice Miss X experienced by providing her with a personal travel budget, which she has accepted.
The complaint
- Miss X complained the Council failed to consider her child Y’s special needs and medical history when it declined her application for travel assistance.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’. In this statement, I have used the word fault to refer to these. We provide a free service but must use public money carefully. We may decide not to start or continue with an investigation if we are satisfied with the actions an organisation has taken or proposes to take. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(7), as amended)
How I considered this complaint
- I considered information provided by Miss X and the Council.
- I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- Miss X applied to the Council for travel assistance on behalf of her child, Y. She said Y could not be expected to walk to school due to their special needs. Miss X also provided medical information to support her statements.
- The Council declined the application, so Miss X appealed it and provided further medical information in support of her application. Miss X also brought the matter to us.
- After receiving the new information, the Council decided to award Miss X with a personal travel budget she can use to arrange transport to school for Y. It also provided a backdated refund for the time Miss X was taking Y to school without any assistance. Miss X agreed to the budget.
- Following our involvement, the Council has provided Miss X with a satisfactory outcome and remedied any injustice she and Y may have suffered due to this complaint. An investigation is therefore no longer necessary.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman