Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint about the actions of the Council’s safeguarding team. This is because the complaint is made late, and there are no good reasons to exercise the Ombudsman’s discretion to consider it now. Other complaints made by the complainant relate to her medical care, and are out of the Ombudsman’s jurisdiction.

The complaint

1. The complainant, who I refer to here as Miss K, says that:
• The actions of the Council’s safeguarding teams between 2005-8 caused the PA to lose her job; and
• Medical treatment that she has received is intrusive and causes her difficulties.

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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 late complaints unless we decide there are good reasons. Late complaints are when someone takes more than 12 months to complain to us about something a council has done. (Local Government Act 1974, sections 26B and 34D, as amended)
4. We investigate complaints about councils and certain other bodies. We cannot investigate the actions of bodies such as Health Trusts. (Local Government Act 1974, sections 25 and 34A, as amended)

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How I considered this complaint

5. I considered the information provided by Miss K, and I sent her an initial view for her comments.

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What I found

6. Miss K says that the actions of the Council’s safeguarding teams between 2005 -2008 caused her difficulties, and ultimately resulted in the loss of her employment as a teacher. She has not been able to work since then, and believes the Council is responsible for this situation.
7. Miss K has complained to the Ombudsman, but we will not investigate this matter. This is because the LGSCO cannot consider complaints about issues that the complainant knew about more than 12 months previously, unless there are good reasons to exercise the Ombudsman’s discretion to set aside the time bar. In this case, there are no good reasons to investigate these events from so far in the past.
8. Miss K has also complained about medical treatments that she has received, both now and in the past, but we cannot investigate these complaints. This is because complaints about Health Trusts need to be made to the Parliamentary and Health Care Ombudsman.

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Final decision

9. I will not investigate this complaint as it is made late and there is no good reason to investigate it now. Other complaints about health care are out of the Ombudsman’s jurisdiction.

Investigator’s final decision on behalf of the Ombudsman

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman