Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council handled Mr X’s earlier complaints relating to his contact with a family support service. That is because it is a late complaint and there are no good reasons why it could not have been made sooner.

The complaint

1. Mr X said the Council were at fault because it refused to consider his representations under the three-part children act complaint procedures. Mr X said this caused him significant stress and frustration.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. 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

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 said he was in contact with the Council in early 2022 about his contact with a family support service. He said despite him asking it to escalate his complaint to stage two, it abandoned the process.
5. We will not consider a complaint about this matter, because it is now a late complaint. Mr X was aware by mid-2022, the Council were not pursuing his complaint, and I have not seen any evidence of good reasons about why it was not raised with us sooner.

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Final decision

6. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because it is late and there are no good reasons why it could not have been made to us inside 12 months.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman