Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about his dealings with Children’s Services in 2024 because there is nothing we could add to the Council’s response, and nothing worthwhile we could achieve by investigating his complaint now.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains about his dealings with Children’s Services in connection with a child and family assessment in 2024. He says the Council misrepresented things his children said. He feels he has been subject to unfair scrutiny. He questions the qualifications of social workers involved with his family.

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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 there is no worthwhile outcome achievable by our investigation. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended)

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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. I have carefully considered everything Mr X said, although I have not included every detail here. I have included as few details as possible to protect the anonymity of Mr X and his family.
6. The Council’s involvement followed concerns raised by a doctor about one of Mr X’s children. The Council responded to Mr X’s concerns at the final stage of its complaints process on 24 January 2025.
7. The Council said Mr X should complain to us if he remained dissatisfied. Mr X complained to us on 19 January 2026, almost a year after he received the Council’s final response.
8. I do not consider there is anything we could add to the Council’s response or anything worthwhile we could achieve by investigating his complaint now.
9. While Mr X and the Council clearly have different views about aspects of his parenting, and Mr X clearly found the scrutiny by the Council difficult, there is not enough evidence of fault by the Council to justify an investigation.

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Final decision

10. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because there is nothing we could add to the Council’s response, and nothing worthwhile we could achieve by investigating his complaint now.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman