Overview
The complainant (Mr C) alleged that Dumfries and Galloway Council (the Council) had failed to handle a number of his complaints in line with their Complaints Procedure.
Specific complaint and conclusion
The complaint which has been investigated is that the Council failed to handle Mr C's complaints in line with the Complaints Procedure (not upheld).
Redress and recommendations
The Ombudsman recommends that the Council consider whether or not to invoke their Unacceptable Actions Policy against Mr C, given that his communication approach has significantly contributed to the problems around the handling of his complaints.
One of the reasons for the Council to invoke the policy is that they must consider whether or not their current handling of Mr C's complaints represents a good use of public resources. If action was to be taken to more effectively manage Mr C's correspondence, I believe that would be a strong case to show that the Council are taking into consideration the principles of 'Best Value'. The Council have to seriously consider whether or not their management of Mr C's complaints and correspondence is an effective use of public resource.