Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Authority’s handling of a member conduct complaint as Mr X Is not personally impacted by this to a degree that would warrant our further involvement.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains the Authority has failed to properly consider his complaint to it about an Authority member’s comments on social media, about a third party, which Mr X says were disrespectful, irresponsible and inflammatory. Mr X says he was appalled by the member’s comments, which he says were not isolated incidents, and considers the Authority has fallen short in its response.

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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))

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How I considered this complaint

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

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My assessment

5. I recognise Mr X has strong feelings about the member comments but as they related to a third party, I do not consider any personal impact on Mr X is sufficient to justify our further involvement. Similarly, I understand Mr X is left feeling dissatisfied by the Authority’s response, but this too does not represent a significant injustice to him. We have limited resources and must direct them to the most serious cases. I do not consider this is such a case or that the complaint raises complaint handling concerns that we would wish to investigate in the public interest.

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Final decision

6. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman