Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about children’s social care. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council and an investigation would not achieve a worthwhile outcome.

The complaint

1. Mr X says the Council ignored his concerns about his child’s safety. He says the Council concentrated on his conduct and did not properly consider concerns he raised about the mother's behaviour. Mr X says he feels depressed and it caused problems in his relationship with his child.
2. Mr X wants the Council to remove his child from a social care plan, organise mediation for him and the child’s mother and consider other information in its assessments of the family’s needs.

Back to top

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 not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating, or
• we cannot achieve the outcome someone wants, or
• we could not add to any previous investigation by the organization, or
• there is no worthwhile outcome achievable by our investigation.

(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))

Back to top

How I considered this complaint

4. I considered information provided by Mr X and the Council.
5. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

Back to top

My assessment

6. The Council took steps to discuss Mr X concerns. It invited Mr X to a meeting in November 2025. It told me Mr X did not attend that meeting and refused to attend any further meetings.
7. Mr X emailed his concerns to the Council. It conducted welfare checks and a school visit. The Council continued its safeguarding duties under the Child in Need process.
8. Mr X wants the Council to consider school reports and work with the child’s mother as part of its involvement with his child. I am satisfied the Council considered information from relevant parties during its involvement with the family. There is insufficient evidence of fault in how the Council handled Mr X’s concerns.
9. Mr X wants the Council to remove his child from a social care plan. We cannot tell a Council to remove a child from a Child Protection or Child in Need plan.
10. Mr X has complained about how he has been treated by the Council and says it is not listening to him. But I am satisfied the Council has tried to include Mr X in its meetings and assessments but he chose not to participate. Further investigation by the Ombudsman would not add to the Council’s response or achieve a worthwhile outcome.

Back to top

Final decision

11. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council and an investigation could not achieve a worthwhile outcome.

Back to top

Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman