Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about a resilience and social skills intervention delivered to his child. We do not have jurisdiction to investigate complaints about what happens in schools.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains the Council allowed his child, Y to take part in resilience intervention sessions without Mr X’s consent and without considering Y’s previous psychological reports.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. The Local Government Act 1974 sets out our powers but also imposes restrictions on what we can investigate.
3. We cannot investigate most complaints about what happens in schools. (Local Government Act 1974, Schedule 5, paragraph 5(2), as amended)

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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’s child Y was invited to take part in a social skills and resilience curriculum delivered by an assistant educational psychologist at their school.
7. The school gained parental consent from Y’s mother but did not ask for Mr X’s consent for Y to take part.
8. Mr X complains the Council failed to ensure the school obtained his consent for Y to take part and failed to consider Y’s existing psychological reports. Mr X says information from the sessions was selectively reported and caused significant distress.
9. We cannot investigate this complaint because we do not have jurisdiction to investigate complaints about what happens in schools.

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Final decision

10. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint. We do not have jurisdiction to investigate complaints about what happens in schools.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman