Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about Mr X’s bin collections because it would not add anything to the investigation and outcome provided by the Council.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains the Council provided wrong information which meant he was putting out the wrong bin each week, and it was not being emptied by the Council.
2. Mr X says the Council’s misinformation and resulting missed bins has had a significant impact on his mental health and is seeking a financial remedy for this. He also says the Council has not addressed all his contact with them.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

3. 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:

• we could not add to any previous investigation by the organisation, or
• further investigation would not lead to a different outcome

(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))

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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. Mr X complained to the Council as his bins were not being collected as he expected. He had used the Council’s online calendar to ensure he presented the correct bins each week.
7. The Council visited his property a month later and saw the bins Mr X had presented were not correct. On looking into this, the Council accepted its online calendar and staff had given wrong information to Mr X.
8. The Council corrected its online calendar and told Mr X which bins were due and when.
9. The Council explained that it does not have any other records of his contact but acknowledged and apologised for its errors.
10. Although the Council accept it has caused a significant impact on Mr X, it did not offer a financial remedy.
11. As the issues have been acknowledged, corrected and apologised for, any further investigation is unlikely to add anything to what the Council has already provided.

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Final decision

12. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because we could not add to the investigation by the Council.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman