Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s handling of matters relating to his children. There is not enough evidence of fault to justify our involvement.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains the Council has lied on official forms, ignored his requests and complaints and made unfair assumptions. He wants the Council to correct false information and to take his requests and complaints seriously.

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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, or
• we could not add to any previous investigation by the organisation, or
• we cannot achieve the outcome someone wants. (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.

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My assessment

4. The Council has responded to Mr X’s complaints under both stages of its corporate complaint procedure. It has explained case records and the account of another Council Officer corroborates the information the allocated Social Worker has recorded in her assessment. The Council also explained that while Mr X disagreed with its decision to continue with child protection action, there were no valid grounds to reallocate the case to another Social Worker.
5. Mr X’s disagreement with the Council’s involvement with his family is not evidence of fault. Mr X’s allegations the Social Worker has been rude and dishonest do not appear to be corroborated by independent evidence. There is nothing more we could achieve by investigating the matter further. We also have no power to insist the Council reallocates this case to another Social Worker.

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Final decision

6. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because there is nothing more we could add to the Council’s investigation and we cannot achieve the outcomes the complainant wants.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman