Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the professional conduct of the Council’s social workers. There is another agency which can investigate his concerns about the social worker’s conduct.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains about the integrity and honesty of one of the Council’s social workers. He says the social worker lied and falsified records. Mr X said the social worker has a vendetta against his family.
2. Mr X also said the social worker’s conduct has affected him and his family. He would like a full investigation into the social workers actions and an investigation into all the other social workers involved in his case.

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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 there is another body better placed to consider this complaint. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))
4. The Ombudsman cannot investigate whether social workers are meeting their professional standards of conduct. Complaints of this nature should be referred to the social workers’ professional body, Social Work England.

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How I considered this complaint

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

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My assessment

7. Our role is to investigate the actions of the Council as a corporate body, not to investigate the actions of a specific employee of the Council.
8. Mr X’s concerns about the professionalism of the Council’s social workers are better suited to their professional body, Social Work England.
9. Social Work England can decide if any of the Council’s social workers have not met the professional standards expected in their profession.
10. We will therefore not investigate his complaint.

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Final decision

11. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because another agency can investigate his concerns about any of the Council’s social workers.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman