Summary: We will not investigate how the Council handled a councillor conduct complaint as it does not cause the complainant significant injustice.

The complaint

1. Mrs X complains the Council did not properly consider the complaint she made to it about the conduct of a fellow councillor, which Mrs X found to be intimidating. Mrs X says she has been left feeling unsupported by the way her complaint was handled.

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 recognise Mrs X remains unhappy about the Council’s handling of her complaint and about the conduct in question. However, we will not investigate as I do not consider the injustice caused to Mrs X from the substantive matter, the councillor conduct, or the Council’s handling of her complaint about it, is serious enough to warrant our further involvement. We have limited resources and must direct them to the most serious cases. I do not consider this to be such a case.

Back to top

Final decision

6. We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint because she is not caused a level of injustice from it that would warrant our further involvement.

Back to top

Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman