Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s contact with Mr X during an assessment of his child. The Council has already taken steps to address his concerns, and further investigation would not lead to a different outcome. In any case we could not achieve the outcome he is seeking.

The complaint

1. Mr X said the Council did not properly communicate with him during an assessment of his child (Y), and did not take account of his views. He said it made numerous errors in its assessment, and did not provide him with a copy of this in good time. Mr X now wants the Council to delete its earlier assessment and carry out a new one.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’. In this statement, I have used the word fault to refer to these. We provide a free service but must use public money carefully. We may decide not to start or continue with an investigation if we are satisfied with the actions an organisation has taken or proposes to take. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(7), as amended)

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How I considered this complaint

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

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My assessment

4. Mr X wrote to the Council because it had failed to communicate with him during an assessment of Y. He also said it did not fully inform him of the assessment process and did not adequately include his views or concerns in its eventual assessment.
5. The Council replied to Mr X’s complaint and said:
• His views should have been sought earlier;
• It closed the initial assessment in error, and;
• a social worker subsequently met him as part of the assessment process.
6. The Council apologised for its delay in contacting him and for not making him fully aware of the assessment process. It also apologised he had not been provided a copy of the updated report after his involvement and provided him with a copy during the complaint handling procedure. It also made an offer for Mr X to place a record of his views on Y’s files.
7. We will not investigate this complaint. This is because the Council has already taken adequate steps to address Mr X’s concerns both directly with him and within the service area in relation to any learning. Therefore, further investigation by us would not be proportionate, because it would be unlikely to result in a different outcome.
8. In any case we could not direct the Council carry out a new assessment and therefore cannot achieve Mr X’s desired outcome.

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Final decision

9. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because further investigation would not lead to a different outcome, and we could not achieve the outcome he is seeking.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman