North Northamptonshire Council (25 012 242)
Category : Children's care services > Other
Decision : Closed after initial enquiries
Decision date : 29 Jan 2026
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about inaccuracies in a children services’ report. We are unlikely to achieve a further worthwhile remedy than the Council has offered.
The complaint
- Mr X says the Council issued a report which contained factual mistakes. He says the remedy offered is not enough.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- 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: there is no worthwhile outcome achievable by our investigation. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))
How I considered this complaint
- I considered information provided by Mr X which includes the Council’s reply.
- I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- The Council’s children services team assessed Mr X’s family in 2024. It gave Mr X a copy of its assessment. Mr X says this contained errors. He says this included assigning him the wrong name and a serious allegation that he had harmed a family member.
- Mr X complained to the Council. It considered it at both stages of its complaints’ procedure. It apologised. It said the Council had removed the assessment from its records. It said it had not been shared. It offered £750 for the distress caused.
- Mr X says this is not enough. He says it has significantly affected his family life and relationships.
Analysis
- If we were to investigate Mr X’s complaint it is unlikely we would achieve any further worthwhile outcome. £750 meets our guidance on remedies for any injustice directly caused by the fault alleged here. There is no further action we would recommend than removing the report and apologising.
Final decision
- We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because there is no worthwhile outcome achievable.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman