Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the content of a report the Council completed. This is because the law prevents us from investigating issues considered by a court.

The complaint

1. Miss X complains about the content of a report the Council completed. She also said a number of safeguarding concerns she raised have not been meaningfully addressed or explained within the report. Miss X says this has had a significant impact on both her and her child’s emotional wellbeing.
2. Miss X wants the Council to carry out a review of how her concerns were handled, review the report, provide reassurance and a correction of facts to be added to the court bundle.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

3. The Local Government Act 1974 sets out our powers but also imposes restrictions on what we can investigate.
4. We cannot investigate a complaint about the start of court action or what happened in court. (Local Government Act 1974, Schedule 5/5A, paragraph 1/3, as amended)

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How I considered this complaint

5. I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
6. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

7. The Ombudsman cannot investigate Miss X’s complaint. This is because the complaints relate to a document shared with the courts. Because the matter is before a court, the law says we have no jurisdiction to investigate the assessment’s content or how it was produced.

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Final decision

8. We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint because the law prevents us from investigating matters before a court.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman