Leicester City Council (23 009 275)
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of Miss X’s housing application. This is because further investigation would not lead to a different outcome.
The complaint
- Miss X complains about the Council’s communication whilst handling her housing application. She also complains the Council do not understand her mental health needs. She says this has impacted her emotional wellbeing. She would like Council workers to review their communication style.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- 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 further investigation would not lead to a different outcome. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))
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 complained to the Council about the communication with her Homelessness Prevention Officer. The Council apologised for the delays in communication and confirmed it will raise Miss X’s concerns with the staff involved.
- The Council also apologised to Miss X for the impact her current housing situation has on her mental health. Miss X’s housing application is assessed as band one, which is the most urgent priority need. The Council also considered Miss X’s mental health in a decision to allow her to skip a housing offer due to distress caused by distance from her support network. We could not add anything further to the Council’s response.
Final decision
- We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint because further investigation would not lead to a different outcome.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman