Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the support the Council provided to the complainant. We would not be able to achieve the outcome the complainant has asked for.

The complaint

1. Miss X says that she is unhappy with the social worker who is responsible for providing her with assistance while she is in supported accommodation. Miss X says that her social worker does not listen to her, and she wants a different social worker or to be moved to another area. She wants the Council to terminate the social worker’s employment.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. The Ombudsman investigates 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 may decide not to continue with an investigation if we decide:

• there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating, or
• any fault has not caused injustice to the person who complained, or
• any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement, or
• we cannot achieve the outcome someone wants.

(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6))

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How I considered this complaint

3. I considered information provided by Miss X and the Council.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Miss X says that when she moved to another area, the Council gave her a different social worker from one she had before. Miss X says that her new social worker does not listen to her views and concerns and is not very good at her job.
6. The Council explained to Miss X, when she moved to supported accommodation, her new social worker was doing a different job from her previous social worker. The Council offered to meet with Miss X to talk about why she is unhappy.
7. There is no evidence that Miss X has suffered a significant injustice by the Council not giving her a different social worker or moving her to another area. There is also not enough evidence we would find its actions amounted to fault. We could not justify recommending the Council makes these changes. Miss X also wants the Council to terminate the social worker’s employment as a result of her complaint. We would not be able to achieve this outcome for Miss X if we carried out an investigation, because this is not within our powers.

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Final decision

8. We will not investigate this complaint about the support the Council provided to the complainant. We would not be able to achieve the outcome the complainant has asked for.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman