Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision-making relating to information it provided to X during a standards investigation. There is no significant injustice and there are no wider public interest issues to justify an investigation.

The complaint

1. X says the Council failed to provide sufficient complaint information to them, as the subject of a councillor standards investigation. They say the Council’s actions caused them reputational harm, and they now want an independent review of the information the Council provided to them.

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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 and the Council.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. X complained to the Council about the level of information it provided to them during a standards investigation they were involved in. X said they are now concerned about whether key decisions the Council took were properly documented and considered.
6. Our role is to consider complaints where the person bringing the complaint has suffered significant personal injustice as a direct result of the actions or inactions of the organisation. This means we will normally only investigate a complaint where the complainant has suffered serious loss, harm, or distress as a direct result of faults or failures. We will not normally investigate a complaint where the alleged loss or injustice is not a serious or significant matter.
7. I will not investigate X’s complaint because there is no significant injustice. X said they are concerned about the Council’s procedural approach to information it shared but are not challenging the outcome of the investigation. I am not satisfied the injustice they claim is significant enough to justify an investigation.

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Final decision

8. We will not investigate X’s complaint because there is no significant injustice and there are no wider public interest issues to justify an investigation.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman