Mrs X complained that Pembrokeshire County Council failed to respond to a complaint raised in September 2023.
The Ombudsman found that the Council’s delay in responding was due to sourcing an independent investigator to undertake a Stage 2 investigation. She found this caused additional frustration and uncertainty to Mrs X. The Council confirmed that it is in the process of recruiting an independent investigator, the Ombudsman decided to settle the complaint without an investigation.
The Ombudsman sought and gained the Council’s agreement to issue its Stage 2 complaint response within 8 weeks.