Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s child protection investigation and outcome. The complaint is late and there is no good reason to exercise discretion to consider it now.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains the Council has acted with bias around a child protection investigation and he is unhappy with the outcome.

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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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My assessment

6. The matters which Mr X complains about were initially responded to by the Council in September 2023 and completed the Council’s complaints procedure in April 2024.
7. Mr X should have contacted us in September 2024 at latest however he did not contact us until January 2025. His complaint is late and I see no good reason to exercise discretion.

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Final decision

8. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because it is late and there is no good reason to exercise discretion to investigate this matter now.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman