Ms X complained that despite raising concerns about a Council Officer whilst on vacation in September 2022, she had not yet received an acknowledgement or response.
The Ombudsman concluded that the Council had wrongly determined that the complaint had been resolved and failed to follow its statutory complaints procedure. She said that this caused delays and frustration for Ms X.
As an alternative to an investigation, the Ombudsman sought and gained the Council’s agreement that within 30 working days it would issue Ms X with an apology for the delays in responding, issue a formal written response, and also provide details to Ms X on its formal complaints procedure if she wishes to proceed further.