Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council handled Mr X’s complaint. There is not enough evidence of fault to justify an investigation.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains about one of the Council’s advocacy services and how it handled his complaint.

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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 there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating. (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 the complainant and the Council.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. The Council made several calls to Mr X to try to establish the specific details of his complaint but to no avail. It therefore decided not to progress it further. We will not investigate this complaint as there is not enough evidence of fault to justify an investigation.

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Final decision

6. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because there is not enough evidence of fault to justify an investigation.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman