Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Authority’s position relating to public events and data collection. There is no evidence the Authority’s actions has caused X a significant injustice and we cannot achieve the outcome they seek.

The complaint

1. X complained about the Authority’s position on attending a large public event. They said this showed the Authority was not acting in an impartial way. They also complained about how the Authority collected personal data.
2. X said the Authority’s actions risked public safety and amounted to political activism. They also wanted any officer involved to be dismissed and for these activities to be stopped.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

3. 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, or we cannot achieve the outcome someone wants. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))

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How I considered this complaint

4. I considered information provided by the complainant.
5. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

6. X complained about several matters relating to actions which they said amounted to political activism by the Authority, by not being impartial, and collecting personal data which was contrary to the Equality Act 2010.
7. We will not normally investigate a complaint unless there is good reason to believe that the complainant has suffered significant personal injustice as a direct result of the actions of the Authority. To satisfy this threshold we would need to be satisfied a person has suffered serious loss, or harm, or distress directly because of the Authority’s actions.
8. There is not enough evidence X has suffered a significant injustice. In any case, we cannot discipline staff or require their removal or direct an Authority to stop the activity X has requested and therefore will not investigate.
9. X was also unhappy with how the Authority handled their complaint, but we do not investigate complaints about complaint handling matters, where we are not looking at the substantive matters, because it is not a good use of public resources.

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Final decision

10. We will not investigate X’s complaint because there is no significant injustice, and we cannot achieve the outcome they seek.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman