Summary: We cannot investigate Miss X’s complaint about the Council’s actions when she was a looked after child and its handling of her complaint about this. The complaint is late and there is no good reason to consider it now.

The complaint

1. Miss X complains about the Council’s actions when she was a looked after child. She also complains about the Council’s handling of her complaint.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. 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

3. I considered information provided by the complainant.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. We cannot investigate this complaint. The Council investigated Miss X’s complaint about the care and support it provided during her childhood in 2018. A complaint to us about the Council’s actions when she was a child and its handling of her complaint is late. There is no good reason to investigate now.

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Final decision

6. We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint because the complaint is late.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman