Summary: We will not investigate how the Council handled this councillor conduct complaint as it is unlikely we will find fault or fault causing a significant, outstanding injustice to warrant our further involvement.

The complaint

1. Miss X complains the Council failed to deal with the councillor conduct complaint she submitted to it in 2025. Miss X said the conduct matter caused her concern for her safety and the failure to assess the complaint exacerbated this. Miss X also spent time checking for updates with the Council.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’. In this statement, I have used the word fault to refer to these. We provide a free service but must use public money carefully. We may decide not to start or continue with an investigation if we are satisfied with the actions an organisation has taken or proposes to take. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(7), as amended)
3. 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 fault has not caused significant injustice to the person who complained Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), section 34(B))
4. We consider whether there was fault in the way an organisation made its decision. If there was no fault in how the organisation made its decision, we cannot question the outcome. (Local Government Act 1974, section 34(3), as amended)

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How I considered this complaint

5. I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
6. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code and the Council’s procedure for dealing with councillor conduct complaints.

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My assessment

7. In response to my enquiry about the complaint, the Council sent its decision on the councillor conduct complaint to Miss X. It explained the decision had been made around two months after Miss X made her complaint, but that the Council had not communicated this to Miss X. The Council explained the delay was in part due to internal resourcing pressures, staff turnover and competing demands. It acknowledged that the delay and lack of communication had caused Miss X frustration, uncertainty and distress and it apologised to Miss X for this. The Council stated it was committed to adhering to timescales going forward.
8. I recognise Miss X was impacted by the delay in her complaint being finalised, but I consider the Council’s actions, as detailed in paragraph seven, provide a satisfactory remedy for any injustice caused to her from this. We will not therefore investigate this aspect of the complaint.
9. In respect of the conduct matter, the Council considered the complaint in consultation with its Independent Person and having reference to its policy on councillor standards complaints. It decided not to progress the complaint as it considered the conduct in question did not amount to a breach of the code of conduct for councillors. The Councils decision explained how it had reached this view.
10. We will not investigate the Council’s assessment of the complaint as it is unlikely we will find fault in this. The Council considered the complaint in line with its policy and reached a decision it was entitled to. We could only challenge the decision if there was fault in how it was made. Aside from the delay, I do not consider Miss X’s complaint provides evidence of such fault.

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Final decision

11. We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint because it is unlikely we will find fault or fault causing a significant injustice.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman