Summary: We will not investigate Mr B’s complaint about the Council’s handling of a complaint he made about a Civil Enforcement Officer. This is because the Council has provided a suitable response and an investigation would not add to the action already taken by the Council.

The complaint

1. Mr B complains the Council failed to record and process his complaint under the Council’s complaints procedure when he complained about the conduct of a Civil Enforcement Officer. Mr B says this caused him frustration, inconvenience and a loss of confidence in the complaints process.

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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 an investigation if we decide:

• we could not add to any previous investigation by the organisation, or
• further investigation would not lead to a different outcome.

(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 Mr B.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. The Council has apologised to Mr B for not initially processing his complaint through the Council’s complaints procedure. The Council says it has reminded staff of the correct process for recording complaints. This was a suitable response from the Council.
6. The Council has now responded to Mr B’s complaint at both stages of the Council’s complaints procedure.
7. The Council has provided a detailed response to the issues Mr B has complained about and an investigation by the Ombudsman would not add to the action already undertaken by the Council.
8. So, we will not investigate this complaint.

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Final decision

9. We will not investigate Mr B’s complaint because an investigation would not add to the action already taken by the Council.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman