Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council (25 006 920)
Category : Other Categories > Other
Decision : Closed after initial enquiries
Decision date : 09 Jul 2025
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about data protection breaches as this is a matter for the Information Commissioner's Office.
The complaint
- Mrs X complains the Council wrongly shared her personal information with third parties on several occasions. Mrs X says this has caused her stress, worry and sleepless nights.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- We normally expect someone to refer the matter to the Information Commissioner if they have a complaint about data protection. However, we may decide to investigate if we think there are good reasons. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended)
How I considered this complaint
- I considered information provided by the complainant.
- I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) is the UK's independent regulator in respect of data protection matters. It is best placed to determine if the Council failed to protect Mrs X's data, and if so, to decide what steps the Council should take to put things right/improve its practices. As such, we will not investigate.
Final decision
- We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint because it is best dealt with by the ICO.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman