Mandy Cashmore
Information and Records Officer
0330 403 4734
LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND SOCIAL CARE OMBUDSMAN

CC: ITV Investigations Team, Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire; SK9 5AF

CC: First-tier Tribunal (General Regulatory Chamber) General Regulatory Chamber, HM Courts & Tribunals Service, PO Box 9300, Leicester, LE1 8DJ

Subject: Formal Response – Failure to Investigate & Provision of Incorrect Information

28th February 2025.

Our ref: 24/351 – 24 012 899
Please use reference 24/351 when contacting us about this request for information.

Dear Ms. Cashmore,

Thank you for your response. However, you have failed to address key issues, and I am escalating this matter further.

I have already indicated that this is an employment issue in that you, as an official, are required to comply with laws handed down by the government. Failure to comply with these laws, without a judicial review overturning them, places personal responsibility upon you. You do not have discretion to disregard legal obligations, and as such, you are accountable for ensuring full compliance.

Furthermore, I must highlight the lack of investigation and the provision of incorrect information, which calls into question the credibility of your investigation team:

1. Serious factual inaccuracies remain unaddressed. The decision notice contains incorrect information, which has not been rectified despite multiple requests. Providing inaccurate or misleading information undermines the legitimacy of your findings.
2. A proper investigation has not taken place. You have failed to consider key evidence, including documents held in your system that were not disclosed as part of my request. If your team is unable to conduct an investigation competently, then this raises serious concerns about procedural integrity.
3. Failure to disclose relevant data. I have requested full disclosure of all records held, including correspondence with third parties referencing my name or case number. This information has still not been provided.
4. Your response does not constitute a proper engagement. I have received automated replies instead of substantive answers, which does not meet the standard expected of a professional body handling formal complaints.
5. Your investigation team’s reputation is now in question. The failure to investigate properly, combined with the provision of incorrect information, brings your department into disrepute. This must be urgently addressed, and appropriate corrective action taken.

I expect a full response within the statutory timeframe, including a confirmation that a thorough and unbiased review will now take place. If this does not happen, I will escalate the matter to the appropriate authorities.

I look forward to your immediate engagement.

Yours sincerely,

Mr. Martin Newbold