Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about his dealings with the Council in connection with the care of his grandchildren because there is nothing we could add to the independent investigation commissioned by the Council.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains about his dealings with the Council in connection with the care of his grandchildren since 2012. He complains about child protection investigations and care proceedings. He believes the Council is responsible for the children’s emotional and developmental difficulties, and for turning one of the children against him. He says officers are corrupt and the Council is dysfunctional. He would like a public enquiry.

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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:

• we could not add to any previous investigation by the organisation, or
• we cannot achieve the outcome someone wants, or
• there is no worthwhile outcome achievable by our investigation.

(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 Mr X and the Council.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Mr X became the sole carer for his grandchildren in tragic circumstances. I have not included the details here to ensure the anonymity of Mr X and the children.
6. Mr X complained to the Council in June 2022. The Council investigated his complaint using the Children Act 1989 complaints procedure. This is a formal procedure, set out in law, which councils must follow to investigate certain types of complaint. It involves:
• a written response from the Council (Stage 1);
• the appointment of an independent investigator to prepare a report (Stage 2); and, if the person making the complaint requests
• an independent panel to consider their representations (Stage 3).
7. An independent investigator produced a report in June 2024. The investigation took considerably longer than it should have done, but the report is exceptionally detailed and thorough. It looks at events since 2012.
8. An independent panel considered Mr X’s complaint in November 2024.
9. Of 18 complaints considered by the panel, one was upheld, two were ‘partially upheld’ and 15 were not upheld. The upheld complaints relate to relatively minor faults which do not call the Council’s involvement with Mr X or the children into question.
10. The Council accepted the findings and recommendations of the independent investigator and review panel and gave its final response on 27 December 2024.
11. Unhappy with the response, Mr X complained to us in May 2025.
12. When a council has investigated a complaint under the Children Act complaints process, the Ombudsman would not normally re-investigate it. We may consider whether a council has properly considered the findings and recommendations of the independent investigator and review panel, and any remedy the Council offers.
13. The independent investigation commissioned by the Council was extremely thorough. It considered all Mr X’s complaints. It sets out the evidence the investigator considered and explains how she reached her conclusions. The investigation was overseen by an independent person who agreed with the investigator’s findings. There is nothing we could add by further investigation. In any event, we cannot achieve the outcomes Mr X wants.

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Final decision

14. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because there is nothing we could add to the independent investigation commissioned by the Council.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman