Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s response to his safeguarding referral. It is unlikely we would achieve more than the Council’s complaint responses.

The complaint

1. Mr X says the Council has failed to properly consider and reply to his safeguarding referral.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We cannot investigate most complaints about what happens in schools. (Local Government Act 1974, Schedule 5, paragraph 5(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. (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 Mr X and the Council.
5. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

6. Mr X says he made a safeguarding referral to the Council in early September 2025 about an incident he says happened at his child’s school in April 2025. involving two teachers. He complained to the Council that he had not had any response to his referral.
7. The Council considered and replied to his complaint at stage one and two of its complaints’ procedure. It apologised for not having fully acknowledged his referral. It said it would look into a better automated acknowledgment system. It explained the process for dealing with safeguarding referrals against professionals and the contact the officers have with those that refer. It said it would consider using an information sheet in future for referrers to aid understanding of the process.
8. The Council told Mr X that its role was to oversee the professional bodies, or employers, consideration of referrals. It was not to investigate the events. In Mr X’s case the officers were satisfied the school had used it procedures properly. It explained if Mr X did not agree with the school’s outcome he needed to complain to the school.
9. We cannot investigate the school’s consideration of Mr X’s allegation.
10. It is unlikely we would achieve more than the apology and service improvements the Council has already offered.

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Final decision

11. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because we are unlikely to achieve more than the Council’s response to his complaint.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman