Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about a children services’ safeguarding investigation. We are unlikely to find fault.

The complaint

1. Mrs X is unhappy at a Council children services social worker’s comments and questions and disagrees with the Council’s decision to assess her family.

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

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My assessment

5. The Council received a referral from the community mental health service in July 2025. The Council’s children services team considered the referral and decided it needed to assess Mrs X’s child’s welfare. The Council says it had no means of contacting Mrs X and so had to carry out an unannounced visit. Mrs X is unhappy with the social worker’s questions. Mrs X says it was a horrible experience which caused her PTSD.
6. Mrs X complained to the Council. The Council replied. It explained why it had assessed the family.
7. When a Council receives a safeguarding referral it has to consider whether it needs to assess the family as required by section 47 Children Act 1989. This requires a council to make ‘such enquiries as it considers necessary’ when there is reasonable cause to suspect that a child in their area is suffering or is likely to suffer significant harm. It has to decide whether to take any action to safeguard or promote the child’s welfare.
8. In this case, the Council received a referral from a health professional. It made limited enquiries and asked it says appropriate questions. It closed the case within seven weeks. The contact the Council made is within the usual scope to be expected and we are unlikely to find fault.

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Final decision

9. We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint because we are unlikely to find fault.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman