Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about corporate services because any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement.

The complaint

1. Mr Y complained about the behaviour of one of the Council’s staff during a meeting with him and his partner. Mr Y says the Council repeatedly behaved rudely and then insulted him during the meeting.
2. Mr Y says the issue deeply upset him and his partner and caused offence.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

3. The Local Government Act 1974 sets out our powers but also imposes restrictions on what we can investigate.
4. 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

5. I considered information Mr Y provided and the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

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 a serious loss, harm or distress as a direct result of faults or failures. We will not normally investigate a complaint where the alleged loss of injustice is not a serious or significant matter.
7. We are a publicly funded body and have an obligation to use the funds allocated to us in an effective, efficient and economic manner and while Mr Y and his partner may have been offended by the incident and caused upset, this is not a serious harm or distress which would warrant or justify our involvement. We will not investigate.

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Final decision

8. We will not investigate Mr Y’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