Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s involvement with his family. The complaint is late and there is no good reason to exercise discretion to consider it now.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains that the Council’s children’s services ignored safeguarding concerns raised about his child and excluded Mr X from meetings. He says this led to his son’s death.

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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 Mr X.
5. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

6. Mr X first raised his concerns to the Council in November 2018. He recently contacted the Council again to complain about events that happened between 2018 and 2019.
7. Mr X should have contacted us sooner. He did not contact us until March 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