The Ombudsman's final decision
Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about the Authority’s handling of her transport survey complaint. This is because there is not enough remaining injustice and an investigation would be unlikely to reach a different outcome.
The complaint
Ms X complains about the Authority’s handling of her complaint about an interviewer who was conducting a transport survey on its behalf. She says her complaint remains unresolved. Ms X wants the Authority to investigate her complaint, apologise, and improve its service.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
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 outstanding injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement, or further investigation would not lead to a different outcome.
(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))
How I considered this complaint
I considered information provided by the complainant and the Authority, and I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
Ms X complained to the Authority about the actions of an interviewer conducting a survey in a local train station. The Authority first signposted Ms X to another body it believed was responsible. It later confirmed a third party had conducted the survey on its behalf, so it was responsible.
Ms X says the Authority’s incorrect signposting delayed investigation into her complaint. She also says she told the Authority she needed extra time in the complaints process as a reasonable adjustment, but it ignored her request.
In its complaint responses, the Authority apologised for Ms X’s experience with the survey interviewer and its delays considering her complaint. It explained how it had now investigated her complaint and taken corrective action. This included sending reminders of research best practice to the third party and discussing Ms X’s complaint with the interviewer’s supervisor. It also offered Ms X a meeting with its research manager and confirmed it would learn from its handling of Ms X’s complaint.
We will not investigate this complaint. The Authority has considered Ms X’s initial complaint and its complaint handling. Although I accept this matter may have caused Ms X distress, the Authority’s apology and corrective actions taken to improve its service are an appropriate response to the concerns she raised.
There is not enough remaining injustice to warrant investigation by us. It is also unlikely an investigation would lead to a different outcome.
Final decision
We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint because there is not enough remaining injustice to warrant investigation and an investigation would be unlikely to reach a different outcome.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman