Summary: The Ombudsman has no legal power to investigate Mr X’s complaint about information a Council social worker provided to the Family Court and the social worker’s conduct in relation to court proceedings.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains about information a Council social worker submitted to the Family Court. He is also unhappy about the social worker’s conduct in relation to the court proceedings.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. The Local Government Act 1974 sets out our powers but also imposes restrictions on what we can investigate.
3. We cannot investigate a complaint about the start of court action or what happened in court. (Local Government Act 1974, Schedule 5/5A, paragraph 1/3, as amended)

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How I considered this complaint

4. I have considered comments and information from Mr X and the Council. I have written to Mr X with my draft decision and given him an opportunity to comment.

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What I found

5. Mr X complains about information a Council social worker submitted to the Family Court in relation to his divorce proceedings. Mr X is also unhappy with the social worker’s conduct in connection to the court proceedings.
6. The restriction outlined in paragraph two applies to this complaint. We have no legal power to investigate this matter because it relates to the start of court proceedings.

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Final decision

7. We cannot investigate this complaint because it relates to court proceedings.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman