Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s inspection for a licence of an animal boarding business. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigation.

The complaint

1. The complainant, Mr X, is dissatisfied with how the Council carried out an inspection of his animal boarding business. He says the star rating the Council has given the business, as a result of the inspection, is incorrect.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We investigate complaints of injustice caused by ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’. I have used the word fault to refer to these. We consider whether there was fault in the way an organisation made its decision. If there was no fault in how the organisation made its decision, we cannot question the outcome. (Local Government Act 1974, section 34(3), 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. Mr X runs an animal boarding business which was inspected by the Council in 2024. Mr X disputes the Council’s decision to award a lower star rating than previously, and complains about how the inspection was carried out.
6. The Council inspected the animal boarding business as part of its duties under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (England) Regulations 2018. In reaching its decision to award a licence and star rating, officers visited the business as part of a planned inspection. The Council also looked at relevant paperwork outside of the in-person inspection. Following the inspection the Council notified Mr X of the outcome and informed him how to appeal the star rating if he disagreed with it.
7. In making its decision, the Council took account of the relevant guidance, its own policies and information from Mr X. The Council followed the appropriate procedures when making its decision and we cannot therefore criticise it. There is no evidence of fault in how the Council has reached its decision. Without evidence of fault in the way it was carried out it is not for us to criticise the outcome of the inspection, or intervene to substitute an alternative view.

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Final decision

8. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigation.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman