West Northamptonshire Council (22 003 154)
Category : Other Categories > Other
Decision : Closed after initial enquiries
Decision date : 26 Jul 2022
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council’s Police, Fire and Crime Panel considered a complaint about the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner. This is because it is unlikely an investigation would find fault in how the Panel considered the complaint.
The complaint
- The complainant, who I will call Mr X, complains about how the Council’s Police, Fire and Crime Panel (the Panel) considered his complaint about the actions of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner. Mr X says the Panel overlooked information and reached the incorrect decisions.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- We investigate complaints of injustice caused by ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’. I have used the word fault to refer to these. We consider whether there was fault in the way an organisation made its decision. If there was no fault in the decision making, we cannot question the outcome. (Local Government Act 1974, section 34(3), as amended)
How I considered this complaint
- I considered information provided by the complainant.
- I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- Mr X asked the panel to consider his complaint about the actions of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner (PFCC). The Panel agreed
- We do not provide an appeal against the Panel’s decision, we can only consider how it dealt with Mr X’s complaint. It is not our role to investigate or comment on the actions of the PFCC.
- I will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because there is insufficient evidence of fault in how the Panel considered the matter. Prior to the Panel meeting a summary of Mr X’s complaint was agreed, the Panel met for two hours where it considered the information Mr X provided about the actions of the PCC and also additional information provided by the PCC. The investigation was proportionate to the concerns raised and the Panel reached conclusions based on its judgement. It also explained the outcome to Mr X and invited him to comment on the publication of the findings. Whilst Mr X may strongly disagree with the conclusions reached by the Panel, this does not mean it has done anything wrong.
Final decision
- We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because there is insufficient evidence of fault.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman