Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about the conduct of three social workers allocated to her family’s case between 2021 and 2024. This is because the complaint is late and there are no good grounds to exercise discretion to consider it now.

The complaint

1. Miss X complains about three social workers allocated to her family’s case from July 2021 to January 2024. Miss X raised concerns about their conduct including concerns about inaccurate and misleading reports and disregard and minimisation of domestic abuse.

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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. Miss X complained to the Council, in October 2025, about the conduct of three social workers allocated to her family’s case between 2021 and 2024.
7. The Council told Miss X it would not consider her complaint. It explained it can decide not to investigate complaints about matters which are more than 12 months old. It said some of the key staff are no longer employed by the Council and, given the passage of time since the events complained about, it would not be possible for it to carry out a thorough and robust investigation now. It also noted Miss X would have had the opportunity to raise a complaint about these matters much sooner.
8. We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint. It lies outside our jurisdiction because it is late. The law says a complaint should be made to us within 12 months of the person affected first becoming aware of the matter. Miss X was aware of these matters well over 12 months ago and I see no good grounds to exercise discretion to consider it now. Further to this, the difficulties the Council set out in being able to effectively investigate these matters now would also apply to any investigation by this office.

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Final decision

9. We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint because it is late and there are no good grounds to exercise discretion to consider it now.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman