Summary: We will not investigate X’s complaint that the Council failed to carry out repairs to the door of a neighbouring property. This is because the issue hasn’t caused X a significant enough injustice to warrant further investigation.

The complaint

1. X complains that the Council has failed to carry out repairs to a door at a neighbouring property and about how the Council dealt with their complaints about this matter.

Back to top

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 any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))

Back to top

How I considered this complaint

3. I considered information provided by the complainant.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

Back to top

My assessment

5. I will not investigate X’s complaint because I do not consider that the issues raised have caused them a significant enough injustice. We will normally only investigate a complaint where the complainant has suffered serious loss, harm or distress as a direct result of faults or failures by an organisation. I do not consider that this is the case here.
6. It is not a good use of public resources to investigate complaints about complaint procedures, if we are unable to deal with the substantive issue.

Back to top

Final decision

7. We will not investigate X’s complaint because the matter has not caused X a significant enough injustice.

Back to top

Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman