Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about children services actions. The Council has now agreed to reply to his complaint, and it is reasonable to expect Mr X to comply with its requests.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains about children services’ actions.

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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 effect 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 an investigation if we decide the tests set out in our Assessment Code are not met. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended)

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How I considered this complaint

3. I considered information provided Mr X and the Council.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Mr X complained to the Council in June 2024 about the Council’s actions in its involvement with his family. His complaint covers a range of allegations including a failure to safeguard his child. The Council asked Mr X to provide more detail on his allegations. It said he had not done so but had instead added further allegations. It said his complaints were too vague to reply to.
6. The Council has now agreed to reply to his complaint, as set out to us, in its corporate complaints scheme. It is reasonable to expect Mr X to complete this and comply with the Council’s requests for any further information about his complaints, before we could consider the substance of his complaint.

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Final decision

7. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about children services because the Council has now agreed to reply to this complaint, and it is reasonable to expect Mr X to comply with its requests.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman