Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s children’s services after it completed a children and family assessment in 2022. The complaint is late and there are no good reasons to consider it now.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains the Council has failed to properly investigate his concerns about the safety of his children which he raised in late 2022. He is also unhappy with the outcome of the children and family assessment completed in 2022 stating he was not allowed to see his 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 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 the complainant and the Council.
5. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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Final decision

6. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because it is late and there are no good reasons to disapply the time limit.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman