Summary: We will not investigate this complaint that the Council ignored the complainant’s request to be a contact supervisor. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.

The complaint

1. The complainant, whom I refer to as Mrs X, says the Council ignored her requests to be a contact supervisor for her god-daughter. Mrs X wants the Council to assess her as a contact supervisor.

Back to top

The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’. In this statement, I have used the word ‘fault’ to refer to these. We must also consider whether any fault has had an adverse impact on the person making the complaint. I refer to this as ‘injustice’. We provide a free service, but must use public money carefully. We may decide not to start an investigation if we believe it is unlikely we would find fault. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended)
3. We cannot share information which is confidential to other people.

Back to top

How I considered this complaint

4. I read the complaint and the Council’s responses. I got some additional information from the Council about the supervision arrangements for the child. Most of this additional information is confidential which I cannot share with Mrs X. I invited Mrs X to comment on a draft of this decision.

Back to top

What I found

What happened

5. Mrs X says a friend told the Council in 2018 and 2019 that she wanted Mrs X to be a contact supervisor. Mrs X is god-mother to the friend’s child. Mrs X says the father told the mother that Mrs X has been rejected as a supervisor. Mrs X also says the mother told her that it was stated in court that Mrs X cannot be a supervisor. Mrs X says that none of this information is correct because the Council never assessed her as a contact supervisor. Mrs X says it would be easier and cheaper, for the mother, if she was a supervisor. Mrs X wants the Council to assess her as a supervisor.
6. In response to her complaint the Council said it held no information about Mrs X and it had not received a request for Mrs X to be assessed as a supervisor. It said it had not received a DBS certificate for Mrs X and it could not comment on what the parents may have said to Mrs X. The Council said it had complied with the orders made by the court regarding contact and, as it has complied, it does not need to assess anyone else.

Assessment

7. I will not start an investigation because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council. There is no information that I can share with Mrs X due to confidentiality. But I can confirm that, having considered the court’s directions and other information from the Council, there is no suggestion of fault by the Council and nothing that requires the Council to carry out an assessment of Mrs X as a supervisor. I appreciate Mrs X was told by the mother that she had put Mrs X forward as a supervisor; Mrs X may wish to explore this with the mother.

Back to top

Final decision

8. I will not start an investigation because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.

Back to top

Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman