Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s refusal to change the social worker allocated to Miss X’s family, or about contact restrictions it enforced. There is no worthwhile outcome achievable by our involvement.

The complaint

1. Miss X complained the Council refused to change the social worker allocated to her family. Miss X also complained the Council restricted contact between her child (Y) and another relative (Z).
2. Miss X said this caused extreme distress.

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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 there is no worthwhile outcome achievable by our investigation. (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 and the Council.
5. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

6. Miss X’s family had involvement with the Council’s children’s services, specifically with a social worker.
7. Miss X complained the social worker showed bias, gave her false information and did not provide support. Miss X asked the Council to allocate a new social worker to the case.
8. In its complaint response, the Council refused to allocate a new social worker. It said it did not consider this change would be in Y’s best interest.
9. Miss X also complained the Council imposed restrictions on the contact between Y and Z. She said this was because Z had an ongoing police investigation.
10. There is no worthwhile outcome achievable by our involvement here. The Council considered Miss X’s request for a new social worker and refused it. The Ombudsman cannot tell the Council it should change its decision, or allow Y to have contact with Z.
11. As a publicly funded body we must be careful how we use our resources. Given there is no worthwhile outcome achievable by us investigating this complaint, it would not be proportionate for us to investigate.

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Final decision

12. We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint because there is no worthwhile outcome achievable by our involvement.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman