Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about her housing register priority banding and that it has not yet made her an offer of accommodation. The Council has now offered her permanent accommodation. An investigation by us would not lead to a different outcome or achieve anything more.

The complaint

1. Ms X complained the Council had not properly accounted for her child’s medical needs before deciding her housing register priority banding and had not made her an offer of suitable accommodation. She says this had caused distress and was impacting on her and her child’s health.

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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 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

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. We will not investigate this complaint. Since bringing her complaint to us, the Council has made Ms X an offer of permanent settled accommodation, which is the outcome she was seeking. An investigation by us would not lead to a different outcome or achieve anything more.

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Final decision

6. We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint because an investigation would not lead to a different outcome.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman