Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Mr B’s complaint about an appointment that did not go ahead at the Council’s offices to discuss his housing situation. This is because it is unlikely we could add to the investigation carried out by the Council.

The complaint

1. Mr B says he made an appointment with the housing solutions team at the Council. He turned up and waited for over two hours and he was then told to come back an hour later. Mr B says his social worker informed him she would attend the appointment but no one turned up. Mr B is unhappy that his social worker did not arrange for a housing officer to support him with his housing application.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’. In this statement, I have used the word ‘fault’ to refer to these. We provide a free service, but must use public money carefully. We may decide not to start or continue with an investigation if we believe:

• it is unlikely we could add to any previous investigation by the Council, or
• it is unlikely further investigation will lead to a different outcome.

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

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How I considered this complaint

3. I considered the information from Mr B and the Council. I shared a draft version of this decision with Mr B and invited his comments.

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What I found

4. Mr B is homeless. He is in band four of the housing allocations list and he has been bidding for two-bedroom properties but has been unsuccessful. Mr B arranged an appointment with the Council in September 2019 to discuss his housing situation. Mr B says he turned up to the meeting and waited two hours before he was told to come back an hour later. The appointment didn’t take place and Mr B could not come back because he had to go to work. Mr B says he was told his social worker would attend the appointment but she didn’t turn up. Mr B is also unhappy his social worker did not arrange for a housing officer to be assigned to his case.
5. In its response to Mr B’s complaints, the Council checked its records which showed Mr B failed to attend his appointment. The officer on duty that day went to reception and called out for Mr B but no one answered. Mr B asked the Council to provide CCTV for the day of his appointment. However, the Council has destroyed the footage because Mr B’s request came after the 30-day period it retains it for.
6. The Council says Mr B’s social worker informed him she would not be in the office on the day of the appointment and a duty social worker could provide support if Mr B called when he got to reception. The Council checked its records but it could not find any record of a telephone call from Mr B advising he was in reception. The Council says the social worker is in the process of getting a housing officer assigned to Mr B’s case.
7. The Council urged Mr B in its responses to his complaint in October 2019, December 2019 and January 2020 to make another appointment to discuss his housing situation. Mr B replied in January 2020 and said he would arrange an appointment.
8. It would be difficult for an investigation by the Ombudsman to decide whether
   Mr B turned up to his appointment. Different versions of events exist and there is no independent evidence to verify what happened on the day. It is also insignificant whether the social worker turned up to Mr B’s appointment as it did not go ahead. It is therefore unlikely we could add to the investigation the Council has already carried out.
9. I am aware Mr B has recently had an appointment with the Council to discuss his housing situation. Although a housing officer has not yet been assigned to Mr B’s case, he had support at the meeting from Council officers. The Council discussed alternative options with Mr B, such as renting a private property. A financial assessment has been arranged. If Mr B is unhappy with any decision the Council makes, he can ask for a review. If after the review takes place he is still unhappy, he can make a further complaint to the Council and refer it to this office if the Council isn’t able to resolve his complaint. The Ombudsman will be able to look at whether there is fault in the way any decision is reached.

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Final decision

10. The Ombudsman will not investigate Mr B’s complaint. This is because it is unlikely we could add to the investigation carried out by the Council.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman