Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council not allocating him a social worker or meeting his care and support needs. This is because the Council has already taken suitable action in response to the issues raised in Mr X’s complaint.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains the Council failed to appoint him a social worker and was not meeting his care and support needs.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’, which we call ‘fault’. We must also consider whether any fault has had an adverse effect on the person making the complaint, which we call ‘injustice’. We provide a free service, but must use public money carefully. We do not start an investigation if we decide the tests set out in our Assessment Code are not met. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended)
3. We do not start an investigation if we decide:

• we could not add to any previous investigation by the organisation, or
• we are satisfied with the actions an organisation has taken or proposes to take. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6) & (7) as amended, section 34(B

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How I considered this complaint

4. I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
5. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

6. In response to Mr X’s complaint, the Council said it had written to him, following his assessment in July 2025, confirming that his care package had been withdrawn as he no longer met the eligibility criteria for care provision. However, in response to his complaint, it arranged for a member of its triage team to contact Mr X to discuss and understand his current circumstances and any care needs and to provide information.
7. In its final response to Mr X’s complaint, the Council said its triage team had made numerous attempts to contact Mr X but it had received no response. It then wrote to Mr X and asked him to make contact should he still require any social care input. At the time of issuing its final response, it had not received any response from Mr X.
8. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint. This is because the Council has already taken suitable action in response to the issues raised in Mr X’s complaint and there is nothing further we could add or recommend were we to also investigate. The Council made numerous attempts to contact Mr X in order to progress its understanding of any care and support needs he has but did not receive any response.

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Final decision

9. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because the Council has already taken suitable action in response to his complaint.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman