Miss T complained that Flintshire Council refused to accept her Stage 2 complaint against Social Services.
The Ombudsman found that whilst the Council had provided a Stage 1 response it had refused to allow Miss T to escalate her complaint to the second stage of the statutory complaints procedure. She said that this caused frustration and uncertainty to Miss T. She decided to settle the complaint without an investigation.
The Ombudsman sought and gained the Council’s agreement to write to Miss T with an apology and explanation for the failure within 4 weeks and to commission and progress with an independent investigation as soon as reasonable practical.