Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the actions of a social worker. This is because we cannot achieve the outcome the complainant wants.

The complaint

1. The complainant, Mrs X, complains that the Council’s social worker has been unprofessional in her comments and judgements in the course of her involvement with her 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 cannot achieve the outcome someone wants. (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 the complainant.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Mrs X’s complaint concerns the actions of her children’s social worker. She complains that the social worker’s comments and judgments have been unreasonable and have caused her significant distress. She wants the Council to remove the social worker from the case. It has declined to do so.
6. The Ombudsman will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint because we cannot achieve what she wants. We do not consider complaints about a social worker’s professionalism, which is a matter better directed to Social Work England. It is for the Council to decide which of its officers to allocate to Mrs X’s children, and we will not intervene. That being the case, investigation would not achieve what Mrs X wants.

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Final decision

7. We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint because we cannot achieve what she wants.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman