Summary: We cannot investigate Mr X’s complaint about information provided by the Council during court proceedings and about how it dealt with a safeguarding referral. This is because the law prevents us from investigating what happened in court and Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s handling of the safeguarding referral is made late.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains about how the Council dealt with a safeguarding referral it received in 2022, information that it provided during court proceedings, and about how it dealt with his complaints about these matters.

Back to top

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 a complaint about the start of court action or what happened in court. (Local Government Act 1974, Schedule 5/5A, paragraph 1/3, as amended)
4. 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)

Back to top

How I considered this complaint

5. I considered information provided by the complainant.
6. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

Back to top

My assessment

7. In May 2025, Mr X complained to the Council about a safeguarding referral received by the Council in 2022 and about information that the Council provided in court. Mr X said he’d only become aware of the safeguarding referral in June 2024.
8. In June 2025, the Council declined to investigate Mr X’s complaint. In October 2025, Mr X complained to the Council about how his complaints had been dealt with.
9. I cannot investigate Mr X’s complaint about information that he says the Council provided to the courts. This is because the law prevents us from investigating what happens in court. This includes the preparation and contents of reports provided by councils during proceedings.
10. I will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about how the Council dealt with a safeguarding referral in 2022. Mr X has been aware of this issue since May 2024 but did not ask us to investigate until December 2025. Mr X’s complaint is therefore made late and I see no good reason why he could not have complained to the Ombudsman sooner.
11. I will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about how the Council dealt with his complaints about these matters. It is not a good use of public resources to investigate complaints about complaint procedures, if we are unable to deal with the substantive issue.

Back to top

Final decision

12. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint. This is because the law prevents us from investigating what happened in court and Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s handling of the safeguarding referral is made late

Back to top

Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman