Summary: We will not investigate this late complaint about a Council officer Mr X says was unprofessional and dishonest in 2022. There is not a good reason for the delay in Mr X bringing the matter to the Ombudsman.

The complaint

1. Mr X complained a Council officer was unprofessional and dishonest in their involvement in his children’s case. He says this has caused him significant inconvenience of having to make several information requests to different agencies to find out the truth of the situation. He says it has also caused his child distress as they have had to move schools. He says the matter has also caused him significant stress and loss of earnings. Mr X wants the Council to provide explanations and consider the evidence he provides.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. 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

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

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My assessment

5. Mr X has made two complaints to the Ombudsman about related events. This particular complaint concerns the actions in 2022 of an officer who was involved in assessing his children’s case, who he says was dishonest about their work with his child, and did not involve him in their assessment.
6. Mr X says there were some delays by the Council in progressing his complaint. The issues Mr X complained about were matters he was aware of in late 2022. However, following the Council’s final complaint response in May 2023, Mr X did not complain to us for a further eight months. He says this was due to gathering information from several organisations.
7. Mr X says he found out relevant information via these requests. However, had he brought the matter to us sooner, it would have been for us to decide what information we needed. I am not satisfied Mr X could not have complained to us without the information he subsequently gathered, as the information simply provided further background to issues he was already raising at the end of 2022.
8. Mr X had sufficient information in October or November 2022, certainly by the end of 2022, to know he wished to complain. He was signposted to the Ombudsman in May 2023, and I am satisfied he could have complained to us at that time. There is not a good reason for his delay in bringing this complaint to the Ombudsman and we will not investigate it.

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Final decision

9. We will not investigate Mr X’s late complaint because there is not a good reason for the delay in him bringing the matter to the Ombudsman.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman