Summary: We will not investigate this late complaint about a Local Authority Designated Officer’s investigation into matters occurring in a school in 2018-19. There is no good reason to exercise discretion tom consider it now.

The complaint

1. Mrs X said the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) for safeguarding failed several times to carry out a robust investigation into the abuse that her son suffered at school in 2018-19.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. 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)

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How I considered this complaint

3. I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Mrs X says the matters complained of date from 2018-19. This is confirmed by the Council, which also states the LADO reached a final view in 2019. Mrs X has been able to pursue a disability discrimination case against the school and complain of other matters to us since 2019. I therefore consider she was aware of the matters complained of at the time they occurred. I also consider she was capable of complaining about them to us much sooner.

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Final decision

6. We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint because it is late and there is no good reason to exercise discretion to investigate it now.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman