Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the way the Council has handled Mr X’s care. This is because the complaint is late and there is no good reason to investigate this now.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains about the way the Council has dealt with his son’s transition from children’s services to adult social care, and the care he has received since.
2. Mr X raised the complaint with the Council and the Council provided a response in 2023.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

3. 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)

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How I considered this complaint

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

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My assessment

6. Mr X complained to the Council about matters arising a number of years up to 2023.
7. The Council provided its response to Mr X in June 2023.
8. We will not usually consider a complaint about when someone takes more than 12 months to complain to us about something a council has done.
9. The complaints are therefore late. I have not seen any reason Mr X could not have brought his son’s complaints to us within 12 months of the matters occurring.

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Final decision

10. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because it is late and there are no good reasons to look at the issues now.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman