Mrs N complained that Vale of Glamorgan 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 Mrs N to escalate her complaint to the second stage of the statutory complaints procedure. She said that this caused frustration and uncertainty to Mrs N. She decided to settle the complaint without an investigation.
The Ombudsman sought and gained the Council’s agreement to write to Mrs N with an apology and explanation for the failure within 2 weeks. It further agreed to commission and progress with an independent investigation as soon as reasonable practicable.