Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the conduct of a Council officer in 2022. This is because the complaint is late and there are no good reasons to investigate now.

The complaint

1. Mr X complains a Council officer mocked him during a telephone call in 2022 when he was seeking supported accommodation.
2. Mr X says he shared childhood trauma as a former looked-after child and care leaver with the Council officer. Mr X says the call caused him to withdraw from the supported housing process and affected his wellbeing.
3. Mr X wants the Council to reconsider the supported housing referral that was withdrawn.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

4. The Local Government Act 1974 sets out our powers but also imposes restrictions on what we can investigate.
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. (Local Government Act 1974, sections 26B and 34D, as amended)

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How I considered this complaint

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

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My assessment

8. The Council says the housing referral was made in January 2022, and the housing application was closed. It declines to investigate this complaint about staff conduct from four years ago. It provided Mr X with advice on how to make a referral for a ‘Supported Housing Pathways’ Referral application. It also confirmed it will fund accommodation to help vulnerable people to live independently in their home.

9. We will not investigate as Mr X’s complaint is caught by the time restriction on the Ombudsman’s powers. And I do not see good reasons to investigate now. I do note Mr X’s circumstances as a former child in care and care leaver. And I have considered if there are good reasons for the delay in bringing the complaint. I also note the seriousness of the trauma he describes and the impact he says the events had on him. However, the events Mr X complains of go back to January 2022. The complaint was not raised to the Council until May 2026 and to us in August 2026, more than four years later.
10. While I am sympathetic to the reasons Mr X gives for not raising the matter sooner, the passage of time would make it difficult to carry out a fair and reliable investigation now. Memories fade, evidence may no longer be available, and it is unlikely we could reach robust findings about precisely what was said during a telephone conversation that took place several years ago. Further, the Council has provided Mr X with information about current routes for seeking housing assistance and supported accommodation.
11. So, given the time elapsed, I do not consider there are sufficient reasons to investigate Mr X’s late complaint.

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Final decision

12. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint as his complaint is late and there are no good reasons to investigate now.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman