Summary: The Ombudsman cannot investigate Ms B’s complaint about the Council’s response to safeguarding concerns about two children. This is because the complaint is made on behalf of a public body.

The complaint

1. The complainant, who I will refer to as Ms B, complains that the Council was at fault in its response to safeguarding concerns about two children.

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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 complaints from public bodies. (Local Government Act 1974, section 27(1)(a), as amended)

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How I considered this complaint

4. I have considered what Ms B has said in support of her complaint.

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What I found

5. Ms B is the headteacher of a school. She complains about how the Council responded to safeguarding concerns about two children attending the school.
6. The Ombudsman cannot investigate this complaint. Ms B is complaining in her professional capacity on behalf of a school. The school’s governing body constitutes a public body. By law, the Ombudsman cannot investigate complaints made on behalf of a public body.

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Final decision

7. The Ombudsman cannot investigate this complain t because it is made on behalf of a public body.

Investigator’s final decision on behalf of the Ombudsman

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman