The Ombudsman's final decision
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s failure to provide Miss X with housing support following her leaving care. This because an investigation would not provide a different outcome.
The complaint
Miss X complained the Council failed to provide the housing support she expected to receive following her leaving care.
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: 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))
How I considered this complaint
I considered information provided by Miss X and the Council.
I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
Miss X complained to the Council about the Council’s failure to arrange suitable living arrangements for her and her child after she left care.
The Council carried out a statutory children’s complaints investigation and partially upheld several of Miss X’s complaint points.
Miss X remains unhappy with the Council’s response and wants us to find the Council at fault. The Ombudsman cannot question the merits of a council’s investigation provided the investigation has been carried out correctly.
The evidence shows the Council has properly investigated Miss X’s complaint points and made recommendations to address the upheld complaint points.
This is what we would expect the Council to do. An investigation would not lead to a different outcome.
Final decision
We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint because an investigation would not provide a different outcome.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman