Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s actions relating to a child protection matter. The complaint is late and there are no good reasons why it could not be made sooner.

The complaint

1. X complained saying the Council should not have encouraged him to return his children back to their mother, after he had removed them. X said the Council knew by him returning them, it would expose them to harmful behaviours. X said if this had not happened his children would not have needlessly suffered.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. 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)

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How I considered this complaint

3. I considered information provided by the complainant and I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

4. X said he was unhappy he was asked to return his children home to his ex-partners home after he took them away from what he said was a violent situation. X said this occurred over fours ago, and he had told Social Workers around that time, that he was concerned his children were exposed to harmful behaviours.
5. I will not investigate this complaint, because it is late. X knew about concerns relating to his children’s home environment at the time and the advice Social Workers were giving him. There are no good reasons why a complaint could not have been made sooner if he was unhappy.

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Final decision

6. We will not investigate X’s complaint because it is late and there are no good reasons why a complaint could not have been made sooner.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman