Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council not facilitating contact between Mrs X and her child. This is because further investigation by us would not lead to a different outcome than that provided by the Council.

The complaint

1. Mrs X complained the Council were not facilitating contact between her and her child (Y), although their contact arrangements are set out in a care plan.
2. Mrs X said this has caused her to struggle but also caused her concern for Y’s mental health.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

3. 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 further investigation would not lead to a different outcome. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B)).

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How I considered this complaint

4. I considered information provided by the complainant.
5. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

6. Mrs X complained the Council had failed to facilitate the contact between her and Y, which is set out in a care plan. The plan states contact should take place once per month, with an additional session during the school holidays. Mrs X complained at least three sessions had been missed.
7. The Council responded to Mrs X’s complaint and explained a change in social worker and issues with the agency who provide supervisors for supervised visits had impacted on their ability to facilitate the contact.
8. The Council have made further efforts with the agency and have also now assigned a family support worker to the case to arrange future contact sessions, as well as providing their apologies.
9. Given the Council has provided an explanation and apologised and is working to resolve the issues affecting visits an investigation by us is unlikely to be able to provide a different outcome than that provided by the Council.

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Final decision

10. We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint because further investigation would not lead to a different outcome.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman