Summary: We cannot investigate Miss X’s complaint about an entry to her home as we cannot investigate the Police’s actions. We will not investigate her complaint about children services’ actions in relation to a child protection conference as we are unlikely to achieve more than the service improvements and apology the Council has already offered.

The complaint

1. Miss X says the Police should not have forced entry into her home. And the Council’s failed to properly administer a child protection conference.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We cannot investigate a complaint if it is about action taken by or on behalf of any local policing body in connection with the investigation or prevention of crime. (Local Government Act 1974, Schedule 5, Section 26, paragraph 2 as amended)
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:
• we could not add to any previous investigation by the organisation; or
• 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 Miss X and the Council’s replies to her.
5. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

6. Miss X says the Police forced entry into her home in the summer of 2025. She believes they did so based on inaccurate Council’s children services information.
7. Miss X complained to the Council. It said it would not investigate this as it could not investigate the Police’s actions. Miss X believes the Police would not have taken action if it had not been because of information from the Council.
8. We cannot investigate the Police’s actions. As the Police made the decision to enter the property under its powers, we cannot investigate the event.
9. Miss X also complained to the Council about its decision to have a child protection plan. It did so following the recommendation of a Child Protection Conference (CPC) in August 2025. Miss X said she received the Council’s report to the CPC late, the report contained errors, the Council failed to take account of her disability. She also said the Council had breached her confidentiality.
10. The Council finished its complaints’ procedure in February 2026. It upheld parts of her complaints. It apologised and agreed to make some service improvements. Given Miss X should have had a review CPC by now our investigation is unlikely to achieve more.

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Final decision

11. We cannot investigate Miss X’s complaint about the Police action. We will not investigate her complaint about children services action because we are unlikely to achieve a significantly different remedy.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman