Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision to place Miss X’s child on a child in need plan. This is because an investigation would be unlikely to provide Miss X with a different outcome.

The complaint

1. Miss X complained the Council placed her child on a child in need plan without her consent. She also complained the Council’s investigation contained false statements she did not make.

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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 Miss X and the Council.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Miss X complained to the Council about her child being placed on a child in need plan without her consent or knowledge. She also said the Council failed to address one of her complaint points at stage 2 of its complaints process and contained false statements she did not make.
6. The Council investigated in line with the children’s statutory complaints process and upheld several of Miss X’s complaint points. The Council upheld and made recommendations for several of the points including a financial award of £1050.
7. Miss X remains unhappy with the Council’s decision and wants us to find it at fault. The Council did not include the disputed point at Stage 2 as it had already confirmed this point as upheld at Stage 1 and made recommendations for it.
   The evidence shows the Council carried out a thorough investigation into the complaint points raised and made proportionate remedies to address the injustice Miss X suffered. This is what we would expect from the Council. An investigation would not lead to a different outcome for Miss X.

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Final decision

8. We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint because an investigation would be unlikely to provide Miss X with a different outcome.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman