Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about safeguarding failures. This is because the complaint is late and there are no good reasons Miss X did not bring this complaint to us sooner.

The complaint

1. Miss X complains about safeguarding failures by the Council. Miss X says the Council’s failures have resulted in permanent and compounding effects on her adult life.
2. Miss X has also complained to the Council about ongoing safeguarding concerns regarding her children.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

3. The Local Government Act 1974 sets out our powers but also imposes restrictions on what we can investigate.
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)
5. 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 further investigation would not lead to a different outcome. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), section 34(B))

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How I considered this complaint

6. I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council’s response to Miss X’s complaint.
7. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

8. Miss X has complained of matters as far back as 2004. Miss X brought her complaint to the Ombudsman in February 2026. I can see no reason why Miss X could not have brought her complaint to us sooner. We will not investigate this complaint because it is late.
9. Miss X also complained to the Council regarding ongoing safeguarding concerns regarding her children. Within the Council’s response to Miss X’s complaint, it said it would share her concerns with the relevant manager for their consideration. We will not investigate this complaint because further investigation would not lead to a different outcome at this stage. If Miss X remains unhappy after the consideration by the relevant manager, she can raise a formal complaint about any current issues with the Council and request it be considered under the children’s statutory complaints procedure.

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Final decision

10. We will not investigate Miss X’s historic complaint because it is late. We will not investigate the current concerns Miss X has because further investigation would not lead to a different outcome at this stage.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman