Liverpool City Council (23 003 104)
Category : Children's care services > Other
Decision : Closed after initial enquiries
Decision date : 12 Jun 2023
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about alleged delay in the statutory procedure for complaints about children’s services. This is because the delay is not so significant as to warrant the Ombudsman’s intervention.
The complaint
- The complainant, who I will refer to as Miss X, complains that the Council delayed responding to her complaint at Stage 2 of the statutory procedure for complaints about children’s services.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’, which we call ‘fault’. We must also consider whether any fault has had an adverse effect on the person making the complaint, which we call ‘injustice’. We provide a free service, but must use public money carefully. We may decide not to start an investigation if the tests set out in our Assessment Code are not met. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended)
How I considered this complaint
- I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
- I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- Miss X is a care leaver. She made a complaint to the Council alleging that it failed to provide services to which she was entitled. The matter fell to be considered under the statutory procedure for complaints about children’s services.
- Miss X was not satisfied with the Council’s response at Stage 1 of the procedure, so used her right to escalate the matter to Stage 2. She complained to the Ombudsman that the Council had exceeded the 13-week timescale applicable at Stage 2 by two weeks. The Council subsequently issued its adjudication letter, concluding Stage 2 and giving Miss X the opportunity to escalate the complaint to the final stage.
- The Ombudsman will not investigate Miss X’s complaint. Stage 2 has concluded and the alleged delay is not so significant as to warrant our intervention.
Final decision
- We will not investigate Miss X s complaint because the fault she identifies is not so significant as to warrant investigation.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman