Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about the actions of the Council’s children’s services. Some issues raised happened too long ago and some have previously been considered by the Ombudsman.

The complaint

1. Miss X complains about the actions of the Council’s children’s services. She complains about multiple welfare visits, that inaccurate information was passed to the police and about the contents of a report.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. The Local Government Act 1974 sets out our powers but also imposes restrictions on what we can investigate.
3. 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

4. I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
5. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

6. Miss X says the issues raised in her complaint happened between 2021 and 2024. The Council responded to complaints from Miss X in 2021 and 2022.
7. I will not investigate Miss X’s complaint because I am satisfied that the issues raised by her are the same as those raised with the Council in 2021 and 2022. Some of the issues she has raised have already been considered by the Ombudsman, and we cannot accept repeat complaints about the same issues. Miss X’s complaints about other issues are made late and I see no good reason why they could not have been raised sooner.

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Final decision

8. We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint because some issues raised happened too long ago and some have previously been considered by the Ombudsman.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman