Blackpool Borough Council (19 015 723)
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: The Ombudsman cannot investigate Mr X’s complaint about an incident in his previous sheltered housing accommodation because it lies outside the Ombudsman’s jurisdiction. This is a matter for the Housing Ombudsman.
The complaint
- The complainant, whom I shall call Mr X, complains about the actions of a sheltered housing officer in his previous accommodation.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- The Local Government Act 1974 sets out our powers but also imposes restrictions on what we can investigate.
- We cannot investigate complaints about the provision or management of social housing by a council acting as a registered social housing provider. (Local Government Act 1974, paragraph 5A schedule 5, as amended)
How I considered this complaint
- I considered the information Mr X provided and discussed the complaint with him on the telephone. I also considered the complaint correspondence, which I requested from the Council. I sent Mr X a draft copy of my decision and considered his comments on it.
What I found
- Mr X complains about the actions of a sheltered housing officer in his previous sheltered housing accommodation.
- Mr X complains it took two hours for staff to attend after he told the sheltered housing officer, during her routine tannoy call, that he needed help. Mr X had fallen from his bed during the night and could not get up unaided. Mr X says the staff then said he was drunk, smelt of alcohol and was verbally abusive. Mr X says this was not the case.
- Mr X has completed the Council’s complaints procedure, via the appeal panel. The Council’s final response letter signposts Mr X to the Housing Ombudsman if he remains dissatisfied.
Final decision
- We cannot investigate this complaint because it falls outside our jurisdiction. This is because it is about a service which forms part of the Council’s management of its social housing. The law prevents us from considering these matters. This is a matter for the Housing Ombudsman, as per the Council’s signposting.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman