Cumberland Council (23 002 605)
Category : Education > School exclusions
Decision : Closed after initial enquiries
Decision date : 09 Jul 2023
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We cannot investigate this complaint about a panel hearing considering the permanent exclusion of a child from a school. This is because the complaint does not meet the tests in our Assessment Code on how we decide which complaints to investigate. Mr X is complaining on behalf of the school, which is public body.
The complaint
- Mr X said an independent review panel decision about a school exclusion is prejudice against the school and is based on factually inaccurate or not proven information.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- The Local Government Act 1974 sets out our powers but also imposes restrictions on what we can investigate.
- We cannot investigate complaints from public bodies. (Local Government Act 1974, section 27(1)(a), as amended)
How I considered this complaint
- I considered information provided by the complainant.
- I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
Final decision
- We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because he is acting on behalf of a school, which is not a public body.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman