Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about contact with his child and the Council’s actions in relation to his former wife. This is because this complaint is late and we have seen no good reason why he could not have complained to us sooner. We will not investigate his complaint that the Council has blocked contact with his child because we have not seen enough evidence of fault with how the Council dealt with his concerns, Mr X can complain to the Home Office about his former’ wife’s immigration status.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains the Council ignored some information from the police in 2023 regarding his daughter. He said the Council told him there was no social care involvement with his child even though its Work Assessment in 2023 found him to be a protective father.
2. Mr X complained the Council has not helped facilitate contact with his daughter since she was born. He said the Council has allowed contact to remain blocked.
3. He also complained the Council’s actions led to his former wife’s ‘No Recourse to Public Funds’ immigration status being changed.
4. Mr X would like the Council to disclose its communications with the Home Office, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and the Asian Women’s Resource Centre (AWRC) in relation to his former second wife.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

5. 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)
6. 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 not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating, or
• there is another body better placed to consider this complaint

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

7. pv20

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How I considered this complaint

8. I considered information provided by Mr X and the Council.
9. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

10. Mr X said the Council ignored information from the police regarding his child in 2023. He also said the Council wrongly told him there was no social services involvement with his daughter despite its Work Assessment of 2023 concluding he was a protective father. Mr X complained to us in 2025.
11. We will not investigate this part of his complaint because it is late and we have seen no good reason why he could not have complained to us sooner.
12. The Council explained it cannot block or facilitate contact as there is no social services involvement with the child. It also advised Mr X to seek independent legal advice.
13. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint that the Council should facilitate contact with his child because we have not seen enough evidence of fault with how the Council dealt with his concerns about contact with his child.
14. We will not investigate Mr X’s concerns about his former wife’s immigration status because it is reasonable for him to contact the Home Office with his concerns.
15. Mr X can ask the Council for copies of its communications with other organisations in relation to his former wife.

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Final decision

16. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because:
• His complaint that the Council ignored information it is late and we have seen no good reason why he could not have complained to us sooner.
• We have not seen enough evidence of fault in the way the Council considered his allegation that it has blocked contact with his daughter; and
• It is reasonable to expect his to contact the Home Office with his concerns about his former wife’s immigration status.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman