Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s complaints team failing to respond to the complainant’s request for information. This is because the Council’s complaints team has now apologised for its failure to respond but confirmed another team did respond to the complainant’s concerns. So, there is nothing further to be gained by investigating.

The complaint

1. Mrs X complains about the Council’s complaints team’s failure to respond to her requests for information. She has been seeking reassurance that her personal information would not be used as evidence in a court case where the Council was taking legal action against another resident for anti-social behaviour.
2. Mrs X is concerned about suffering repercussions. She is seeking compensation from the Council so that she can afford cameras, an alarm and lighting to her property.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

3. 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 an investigation if we decide further investigation would not achieve anything more or lead to a different outcome. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6))

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How I considered this complaint

4. I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
5. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

6. The Council has apologised for its complaints service not responding to Mrs X’s emails. However, it says Mrs X was provided with the information she seeks by another team last year. And the other team confirmed to Mrs X via email on several occasions that nothing connected to Mrs X would be used in court.

7. In these circumstances there is nothing further to be achieved by investigating as Mrs X has received an apology for the complaint teams lack of response. This is satisfactory and further investigation would not achieve anything more or lead to a different outcome.

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Final decision

8. We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint because she has received an apology for the lack of response. And further investigation would not achieve anything more or lead to a different outcome.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman