Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the actions of a social worker before Miss X’s son travelled to another area alone without permission. There is not enough evidence of fault by the Council to warrant our further involvement.

The complaint

1. Miss X said a social worker ignored her concerns, failed to make checks, and thus empowered her vulnerable son to travel to another area. She said this led to him being exploited and engaging in criminality.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’, which we call ‘fault’. We must also consider whether any fault has had an adverse impact on the person making the complaint, which we call ‘injustice’. We provide a free service, but must use public money carefully. We do not start or continue an investigation if we decide there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))

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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. Miss X provided copies of her correspondence with the Council and exchanges of texts with the social worker. Miss X’s child was in the care of the Council due to an alleged offence. He met a child from another area online and wanted to travel to the other child’s area to meet in person.
6. The texts show the social worker felt this could be beneficial if a worker accompanied him, but that Miss X was strongly opposed on grounds of risk, giving specific evidence for her stance. She refused permission for her child to travel, even if accompanied by a support worker. The correspondence contains a letter from Miss X in which she stated the visit did not take place. This shows the Council had respected Miss X’s decision.
7. That the child later travelled alone without the knowledge or permission of the Council or Miss X was not the Council’s fault. The texts between the social worker and Miss X suggest her child had already had previous contacts with the child in the other area, and knew where the other child lived. We could not say he only travelled because the social worker had previously thought an accompanied visit might be beneficial.

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Final decision

8. We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint because there is not enough evidence of fault by the Council to warrant our further involvement.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman