Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council conducted a parenting assessment. This is because the Council have amended the parenting assessment and further investigation would not lead to a different outcome.

The complaint

1. Miss X complained the Council did not treat her fairly during a parenting assessment. She stated that this had left her feeling distressed. She would like the Council to listen to her and take her views on board including what it records in the assessment.

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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 further investigation would not lead to a different outcome.

(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 Miss X and the Council.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Miss X undertook a parenting assessment in autumn 2024 with Council staff. The assessment made determinations about Miss X’s parenting abilities.
6. Miss X contacted the Council in autumn 2024 to complain about she said were factual inaccuracies within the parenting assessment. She also complained the Council had said they would not carry out another parenting assessment.
7. The Council met with Miss X in autumn 2024 to discuss her concerns regarding the parenting assessment. The Council agreed to review Miss X’s notes regarding inaccuracies she identified within the parenting assessment. Additionally, the Council stated that a parenting re-assessment could take place if it felt that Miss X had demonstrated long term significant changes.
8. Miss X sent the Council her notes on the parenting assessment. The Council updated the parenting assessment in spring 2025 to remove some items and updated the text to clarify areas where Miss X disagreed with the content. The Council stated that the amended assessment had been added to her children’s electronic file and shared with the social worker and Independent Reviewing Officer.
9. The Council wrote to Miss X to explain it was only able to update factual errors within the parenting assessment. It also stated that information provided by other professionals within the assessment would not be amended.
10. The Council said it would ensure future parenting assessments were explicit about where information had come from, to share the assessment with parents and note any disagreements within the assessment.
11. We will not investigate this complaint because the Council have corrected information within the parenting assessment and clarified why further changes cannot be made. The Council confirmed the conditions under which a future re-assessment could take place. It is unlikely we would achieve anything significantly different from this outcome.

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Final decision

12. We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint because the Council have made amendments to the parenting assessment and further investigation would not lead to a different outcome.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman