Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council (24 006 186)

Category : Housing > Private housing

Decision : Closed after initial enquiries

Decision date : 29 Oct 2024

The Ombudsman's final decision:

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of Ms X’s request for its pest control service. This is because an investigation is unlikely to add to that already carried out by the Council or lead to a significantly different outcome.

The complaint

  1. Ms X complains about the Council’s handling of her request for its pest control service where she experienced delay, cancelled appointments and poor communication.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

  1. We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’, which we call ‘fault’. We provide a free service but must use public money carefully. We do not start or continue an investigation if we decide:
  • we could not add to any previous investigation by the organisation, or
  • 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

  1. I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council, including its response to the complaint.
  2. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

  1. The Council did not provide a good service to Ms X when she made an appointment for a visit from its pest control service. It apologised for this and refunded the fee she had paid.
  2. While Ms X’s frustration with the service she received is understandable, we do not investigate every complaint we receive. We are funded by the public purse and have an obligation to use the funds allocated to us in an effective, efficient and economic manner. This means that we will not investigate where an investigation is unlikely to usefully add to that already carried out by the Council or lead to a significantly different outcome.

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Final decision

  1. We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint because an investigation is unlikely to add to that already carried out by the Council or lead to a significantly different outcome.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman

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