Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s social care team and its involvement with Mr X and his family. This is because an investigation would not lead to a different outcome.

The complaint

1. Mr X has raised several complaints regarding the Council’s social care team and its involvement with him and his family.

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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:

• we could not add to any previous investigation by the organisation, or
• further investigation would not lead to a different outcome.

(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))

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How I considered this complaint

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

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My assessment

5. Mr X complained to the Council regarding several social workers and their conduct when engaging with his family. He also complained about the Council’s delay in providing Mr X with support following court proceedings.
6. The Council investigated Mr X’s complaints in line with the children’s statutory complaints process and did not uphold most of Mr X’s complaints. The independent officer who completed the stage 2 investigation recommended an apology and instructed the Council to provide Mr X with information he could use to refer his complaints about the social workers to Social Work England. The Council agreed to these recommendations.
7. Mr X has brought his complaint to the Ombudsman because he remains unhappy with the situation. The Ombudsman will not reinvestigate complaints if the evidence shows the Council has previously investigated the complaint correctly. In this case, the Council carried out a detailed and thorough investigation and proposed proportionate and appropriate recommendations. As there is no evidence of fault in the Council’s decision making or investigation, the Ombudsman would be unlikely to provide Mr X with a different outcome.

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Final decision

8. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because an investigation would not lead to a different outcome.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman