London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham (19 016 108)
Category : Children's care services > Looked after children
Decision : Closed after initial enquiries
Decision date : 14 Feb 2020
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about children services actions in 2013 and 2014. Miss X has known about the complaint for more than 12 months and there are no good reasons why Miss X did not complain to the Ombudsman sooner.
The complaint
- Miss X complains the Council’s safeguarding lead failed to act on her submissions of child abuse in 2013 and 2014.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- 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)
How I considered this complaint
- I have considered Miss X’s complaint to the Ombudsman and the information she provided. I have written to Miss X with my draft decision and considered her response.
What I found
- Miss X raised concerns with the Council’s safeguarding lead in 2013 and followed this up in 2014.
- The concerns raised related to child abuse which occurred in the 1980s.
- The Council has accepted that it failed to address Miss X’s concerns raised in 2013 and 2014.
- We cannot investigate a complaint which is about events known to Miss X for more than 12 months without good reason.
- Miss X was aware the Council had failed to address her concerns in 2013 and 2014. Miss X could reasonably be expected to have brought her complaint to us sooner.
- Miss X has provided no good reasons why she did not complain to us sooner.
Final decision
- My decision is the Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint. This is because Miss X has known about the complaint for more than 12 months and there are no good reasons why Miss X did not complain to the Ombudsman sooner.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman