Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of an adoption process. The complaint is late and there are no good reasons for us to exercise discretion to consider it now.

The complaint

1. Mr X complained about failures by the Council during an adoption process.
2. Mr X said its failures led to the adoption falling through and this caused him emotional distress and a negative impact to his mental health.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

3. The Local Government Act 1974 sets out our powers but also imposes restrictions on what we can investigate.
4. 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)

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How I considered this complaint

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

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My assessment

7. Mr X complained the Council failed to complete necessary police checks until a late in the adoption process. He said this led to the process falling through.
8. Mr X said this caused significant emotional distress because he had already formed a bond with his prospective adopted child.
9. Mr X went through the adoption process between 2019-2021. Mr X asked the Council for its complaints procedure in May 2022 but raised his complaint in November 2025. He said this was because it took him so long to recover from the emotional distress.
10. Mr X complained to the Ombudsman in December 2025.
11. As outlined in paragraph four, we cannot investigate late complaints without good reasons to do so.
12. While I acknowledge Mr X’s comments about why he did not complain sooner, I do not believe this amounts to a reason which would warrant us exercising discretion to consider the complaint now. For this reason, we will not investigate this complaint.

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Final decision

13. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because it is late and there are no good reasons for us to exercise discretion to consider it now.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman