Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about how the Council provided Special Guardianship Order support. The complaint is late, and there are no good reasons for us to investigate now.

The complaint

1. Ms X complains about the support she received during the Special Guardianship Order process in 2022 and 2023. She also complains about complaint handling.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. The Local Government Act 1974 sets out our powers but also imposes restrictions on what we can investigate.
3. 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

4. I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
5. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

6. Ms X and her husband became Special Guardians for child Y in October 2023.
7. Ms X complained to the Council about lack of support in the lead up to, and after the Order in June 2024. The complaint process ended in December 2024 when the Council sent Ms X its final response. Ms X complained to us in December 2025.
8. I will not investigate this complaint because it is late. Ms X was aware of the matters she complains about before her first complaint to the Council in June 2024. If someone takes more than 12 months to complain to us about something a Council has done it is a late complaint. It is reasonable to expect Ms X to have complained to the Ombudsman sooner.

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Final decision

9. We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint because it is late, and there is no good reason to investigate now.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman