Summary: We will not exercise discretion to investigate this complaint about the installation of external insulation under a government grant scheme. This complaint which was received outside the normal 12-month period for investigating complaints. There is no evidence to suggest that Mrs X could not have complained to us sooner.

The complaint

1. Mrs X complained about the Council’s administration of a grant scheme to install external insulation to her home in 2022. She says the contractors did not provide sufficient information about the nature of the insulation beforehand and that she believes a signature on the contract from 2022 was not her own. She feels the works were not satisfactory and the Council did not provide her with sufficient help during the scheme.

Back to top

The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We cannot investigate late complaints unless we decide there are good reasons. Late complaints are when someone takes more than 12 months to complain to us about something a council has done. (Local Government Act 1974, sections 26B and 34D, as amended)

Back to top

How I considered this complaint

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

Back to top

My assessment

5. Mrs X says the insulation grant scheme which she agreed to have fitted to her home in 2022 was not properly implemented by the Council. She says she was given insufficient advice about the nature and future maintenance of the cladding before the contract was agreed in 2022. She says when the work was completed in May 2023 there were problems with leaking guttering and other fittings which had been remove during the external work. She says she did not receive a manual about the insulation until then and was unaware of future maintenance requirements.
6. Mrs X says communication with the contractor was difficult and she complained to the Council about the incomplete faults. The Council says the contract was with the owner and contractor and it had no direct involvement with the works themselves, only the grant supervision. However, it says it did arrange for the outstanding issues to be completed.
7. Mrs X says she believes it is not her signature on the contract but she did not raise any concerns about the works commencing in 2022.
8. We will not exercise discretion to investigate this compalint which was received more than 12 months after the complainant was aware of the issues. It was reasonable for Mrs X to complain to us within 12 months of the contract being signed in 2022 and the completion of the works in 2023.
9. The time for receiving complaints is from when someone became aware of the matter they wish to complain about, not when they complained to the Council or it issued its final response. We would expect someone to complain to us within a year, even if they were dissatisfied with the time the complaints procedure was taking.

Back to top

Final decision

10. We will not exercise discretion to investigate this complaint about the installation of external insulation under a government grant scheme. This complaint which was received outside the normal 12-month period for investigating complaints. There is no evidence to suggest that Mrs X could not have complained to us sooner.

Back to top

Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman