Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council responded to reports of anti-social behaviour. There is not enough evidence of fault to warrant investigation.

The complaint

1. Mrs X complains the Council took no action over her reports of anti-social behaviour (ASB) by her neighbour and has stopped responding to her. She says she fears for her life.

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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 there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating. (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 our enquiries the Council has shared evidence which shows it has taken steps to investigate and deal with the ASB Mrs X reported. Because this contains confidential information about a third party neither the Council nor the Ombudsman can share it with Mrs X.
6. We are not an appeal body. This means we do not take a second look at a decision to decide if it was wrong. Instead, we look at the processes an organisation has followed to make its decision. If we consider it followed those processes correctly, we cannot question whether the decision was right or wrong, even if someone disagrees with it.
7. The Council’s investigation has considered all the relevant information and made decisions based on the professional judgement of its officers. These are decisions the Council is entitled to make, and I have found no fault in how they were made. Mrs X may not agree with what the Council has done, but we will not investigate.
8. Mrs X says the Council stopped responding to her but the documents show the Council has responded to Mrs X’s reports of ASB. We are unlikely to find evidence of fault so it is not proportionate for us to investigate this point.

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Final decision

9. We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint because there is not enough evidence of fault to warrant investigation.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman