Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council dealt with safeguarding concerns about a child. This is because the events happened too long ago and I see no reason why the complainant could not have complained about the matter sooner.

The complaint

1. The complainant, who I will call Miss X complains about how the Council dealt with safeguarding concerns she raised about a child.

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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)

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How I considered this complaint

4. I considered information provided by Miss X and the Council.
5. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

6. Miss X raised safeguarding concerns about a child in 2018 and 2019. She complains that the Council treated these Miss X’s concerns as malicious.
7. We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint. The events she complains about happened more than 12 months ago and I see no reason why she could not have complained sooner.

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Final decision

8. We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint because the events happened too long ago and I see no reason why she could not have complained sooner.

Investigator’s decision on behalf of the Ombudsman

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman