Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s failure to follow its published complaint procedure. We consider the complainant has not suffered a significant personal injustice which warrants our involvement.

The complaint

1. Ms X complains the Council failed to follow its complaint procedure.

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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 Ms X.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Ms X complains the Council failed to follow its corporate complaint procedure.
6. The Council has apologised its oversight and will address her concerns as part of its consideration of a separate complaint about a councillor.
7. We will not usually investigate a complaint about a failure to follow the complaint procedure as we do not consider this point alone has caused a significant personal injustice.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman