Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about the lack of Children’s social care support. The Council gave her a route to a Council assessment, and we are unlikely to achieve significantly more.

The complaint

1. Mrs X says the Council failed to assess her child, Z, for social care support.

Back to top

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, section 34(B)).

Back to top

How I considered this complaint

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

Back to top

My assessment

5. Z has disabilities. Mrs X says she would like the Council to carry out a children and disability assessment. She obtained a private assessment which shows Z needs some social care support.
6. In the Council’s reply to Mrs X’s complaint it said it would need to assess Z itself before deciding if Z needed social care support. It included a link to a request for a Council assessment. It is reasonable to expect Mrs X to request a Council assessment via that route. If we were to investigate her complaint, it is unlikely there is anything further we would achieve.

Back to top

Final decision

7. We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint because there is no worthwhile outcome achievable.

Back to top

Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman