Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about the Council’s failure to follow the Children Act complaints’ procedure. It has now agreed to do so.

The complaint

1. The complainant, whom I shall call Miss X, says the Council failed to properly reply to her children services’ complaint.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’. In this statement, I have used the word fault to refer to these. We provide a free service but must use public money carefully. We may decide not to start or continue with an investigation if we are satisfied with the actions a council has taken or proposes to take. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(7), as amended)

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How I considered this complaint

3. I considered information provided by Miss X which included the Council’s response to her.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

The statutory complaints’ procedure

5. The law sets out a three-stage procedure for councils to follow when looking at complaints about children’s social care services. The accompanying statutory guidance, Getting the Best from Complaints, explains councils’ responsibilities in more detail.
6. The first stage of the procedure is local resolution. Councils have up to 20 working days to respond.
7. If a complainant is not happy with a council’s stage one response, they can ask that it is considered at stage two. At this stage of the procedure, councils appoint an investigator and an independent person who is responsible for overseeing the investigation. Councils have up to 13 weeks to complete stage two of the process from the date of request.
8. If a complainant is unhappy with the outcome of the stage two investigation, they can ask for a stage three review by an independent panel. The Council must hold the panel within 30 days of the date of request, and then issue a final response within 20 days of the panel hearing.
9. Miss X complained the Council has failed to comply with the Children Act statutory complaints’ procedure. The Council provided a Stage Two reply in February 2023. Miss X was not happy with it. She requested a Stage Three Review Panel. This was arranged but then cancelled.
10. Miss X and the Council sought an early referral. On balance it does not meet the requirements for an early referral.
11. The Council has agreed to carry out a Stage Three review panel in compliance with the regulations. It is reasonable to expect Miss X to complete this stage.

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Final decision

12. We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint because we are satisfied with the Council’s agreement to complete Stage Three of its Children Act complaints’ procedure.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman