Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about the Council’s children’s services involvement with her family between 2015 and 2022. The complaint is late, and we decided there were no good reasons to exercise discretion to investigate now.

The complaint

1. Mrs X complained about the involvement of the Council’s children’s services with her family between 2015 and 2022. Mrs X said the matter caused her distress.

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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. We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaints about the involvement of the Council’s children’s services between 2015 and 2022. This is because the complaint is late. Mrs X was aware of these issues between 2015 and 2022. I have seen no good reason Mrs X could not have brought the complaints sooner. Therefore, we will not investigate this complaint.

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Final decision

7. We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint because the complaint is late, and we decided there were no good reasons to exercise our discretion.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman