Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s involvement with Mr X and his family. We could not add anything to the Council’s response or achieve a worthwhile outcome for Mr X.

The complaint

1. The complainant, whom I shall refer to as Mr X, complained about the Council’s actions while his son was subject to a Child Protection Plan. Mr X says he was not able to take part in the process. This led to his relationship breaking down and reduced contact with his child.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. 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:

• we could not add to any previous investigation by the organisation, or
• further investigation would not lead to a different outcome, or
• we cannot achieve the outcome someone wants, or
• there is no worthwhile outcome achievable by our investigation.

(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))

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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. The Council has responded to Mr X and set out what happened based on the records it has. This includes meetings and phone calls. Mr X disputes what the Council has said and contends its actions affected the relationship with his partner and led to reduced contact with his child.
6. We will not start an investigation into Mr X’s complaint. There is a clear dispute between Mr X and the Council. An investigation by the Ombudsman would be unlikely to add anything to the Council’s response. We also could not achieve any worthwhile outcome for Mr X. The Council says his child is no longer open to its services. Our involvement would not affect the issues at the heart of this complaint. If Mr X wants to challenge the access he has to his child, then it is something he might need to pursue in court. It is not something we can influence.

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Final decision

7. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because there is no worthwhile outcome achievable by an investigation.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman