Overview
The complainant (Mr C) raised a number of concerns regarding the way Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park Authority (the Authority) investigated his complaint about the tendering process for the distribution of the Authority's publicity material.
Specific complaints and conclusions
The complaints which have been investigated are that:
- (a) the Authority failed to carry out a proper investigation into Mr C's complaint (not upheld);
- (b) the Authority's investigation into Mr C's complaint took an unacceptable time to complete (upheld);
- (c) the Authority's response to the complaint was inaccurate (not upheld); and
- (d) the Authority failed to respond to Mr C's letter of 26 August 2005 in a timeous fashion (upheld).
Redress and recommendations
The Ombudsman recommends that the Authority:
- (i) ensure compliance with their complaints procedure, in particular they ensure that information about a complainant's rights to bring their complaint to the Ombudsman's office is always provided; and
- (ii) ensure that complainants are kept informed of the progress of their complaints.
The Authority have accepted the recommendations and will act on them accordingly.