Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s delay in securing social care support for Mrs X’s son. This is because any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement.

The complaint

1. Mrs X complains the Council delayed arranging social care provision for her son for the summer of 2025. She says she has been trying to arrange this since late 2024, causing distress.

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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 impact 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 or continue an investigation if we decide any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))
3. The law says we cannot normally investigate a complaint unless we are satisfied the organisation knows about the complaint and has had an opportunity to investigate and reply. However, we may decide to investigate if we consider it would be unreasonable to notify the organisation of the complaint and give it an opportunity to investigate and reply. (Local Government Act 1974, section 26(5), section 34(B)6)

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How I considered this complaint

4. I considered information provided by Mrs X.
5. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

6. In its final complaint response the Council accepted its social worker’s communications with Mrs X about summer provision had not been clear. It apologised and said it had taken action to improve the service she provided. It also explained it was another team, Children’s Social Care, who would arrange any summer placement and the matter was now with them to action.
7. I acknowledge the Council’s poor communications and delay would have caused Mrs X distress and uncertainty. However, this is not significant enough to justify an investigation.
8. The Council’s Children’s Social Care team was responsible for deciding on and securing any summer provision. Any complaint Mrs X has about its actions was premature at the time she complained to us. It is reasonable to give the Council the chance to address any further complaint and therefore I will not investigate.

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Final decision

9. We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint because any injustice is not significant enough to justify our involvement.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman