Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about a safeguarding strategy meeting, a subsequent unannounced home visit and the Council’s investigation of his complaint under the statutory children’s complaints procedure. It is unlikely we would add to the Council’s investigation or reach a different outcome.

The complaint

1. Mr X complained about a safeguarding strategy meeting and a subsequent unannounced home visit by Council social workers. The Council investigated his complaint under the children’s statutory complaints procedure, but Mr X is unhappy with the outcome and also complains about the Council’s conduct during the investigation. He wants us to complete an independent investigation into the matters raised.

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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.

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

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My assessment

5. Mr X complained about the Council’s actions after it received a safeguarding concern related to his child. His complaint included its actions related to a strategy meeting held under its child protection procedures and a subsequent unannounced visit by social workers to their home.
6. The Council investigated Mr X’s complaint at all three stages of the children’s statutory complaints procedure. It upheld parts of his complaint. In line with the stage two investigating officer’s recommendations, it wrote to Mr X and apologised for the distress caused by the upheld parts of complaint. It also offered him £300 in recognition of the distress caused by some of its actions and decision making. It acted to improve its service moving forward by addressing the practice of individual officers and providing additional training for relevant staff.
7. The statutory children’s complaints procedure was set up to provide children, young people and those involved in their welfare with access to an independent, thorough and prompt response to their concerns. Because of this, if a council has investigated something under the statutory children’s complaint process, the Ombudsman would not normally re-investigate it.
8. We will not investigate this complaint. I have considered the Council’s complaint records and can see no evidence of flaws in how the process was conducted. The apology and financial remedy offered in recognition of the distress caused are appropriate and in line with our remedies guidance. It is unlikely an investigation by us would add to the Council’s investigation or lead to a different outcome.

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Final decision

9. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because it is unlikely we would add to the Council’s investigation or reach a different outcome.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman