Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about the Council’s decision on how it would provide her with information she asked for. Another investigation would not change the outcome.

The complaint

1. Ms X was unhappy the Council did not send her a copy of a policy in the format she asked for.
2. Ms X said this made her feel as if the Council were ignoring her disabilities.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

3. We investigate 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 continue an investigation if we decide further investigation would not lead to a different outcome.

(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))

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How I considered this complaint

4. I considered information provided by Ms X.

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My assessment

5. Ms X asked the Council to send her a copy of its data protection policy in an easy read format.
6. The Council did not have a copy in the format she asked for, so did not do so. It said it did the following to help her:
• It sent her a link to its policy online;
• talked to her about the relevant part of the policy, and;
• sent her a summary of its privacy notice, letting her know her rights.
7. The Council also apologised because it had delayed replying to her.
8. We will not investigate this complaint because these actions are a suitable response to Ms X’s complaint and an investigation by us would not change the outcome.

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Final decision

9. We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint because another investigation by us would not change the outcome.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman