Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint that the Council failed to provide him with safeguarding information about his children. The Council explained the reasons for its decision-making and an investigation by the Ombudsman is unlikely to achieve anything further.

The complaint

1. Mr X complained the Council failed to share safeguarding information with him about his children in summer 2025.
2. Mr X said the matter caused him distress.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

3. 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:

• we could not add to any previous investigation by the organisation, or
• further investigation would not lead to a different outcome, or
• we cannot achieve the outcome someone wants, or
• there is no worthwhile outcome achievable by our investigation.

(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))

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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. Mr X said in summer 2025 his children experienced significant physical harm. Mr X complained to the Council in September 2025 and said he was not kept informed about his children’s wellbeing. Mr X said he had parental responsibility for his children and should have been provided with the information.
7. The Council responded to Mr X’s complaint. It confirmed the events that took place. It said a court order was in place limiting Mr X’s contact with his children to indirect letterbox contact only. It explained the Council did not have parental responsibility for the children, that the children and their mother did not agree to share information with Mr X, and that in line with the court order it did not do so.
8. We will not investigate this complaint. Although Mr X has parental responsibility for his children, an investigation by the Ombudsman is unlikely to add to the Council’s explanation or achieve a different outcome. Mr X is aware of the issues his children experienced and thus an investigation is unlikely to achieve anything further.

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Final decision

9. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because an investigation is unlikely to achieve anything further.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman