Mr A complained that Cardiff Council had failed to provide a Stage 2 response to the Social Services complaint he made on behalf of Miss B on 1 July 2022.
The Ombudsman found that there had been a delay by the Council to progress Miss B’s complaint as it had instead offered her a meeting. She said this caused delays and frustration for Miss B. The Ombudsman decided to settle the complaint without an investigation.
The Ombudsman sought and gained the Council’s agreement to apologise and provide an explanation to Miss B for the delay, offer her redress of £200 and appoint an independent investigator within 4 weeks. The Council also agreed to undertake a review to identify if there are any similarly disadvantaged complainants and to take appropriate action in any similar cases.