Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint the Council did not include him in statutory review meetings for his children. This is because the Council has investigated the matter, and we are satisfied with the actions the Council has already taken to remedy any injustice.

The complaint

1. Mr X complained the Council did not invite him to statutory review meetings for his children or send him the minutes from these meetings. He said this has damaged his relationship with his children and affected his wellbeing.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’. In this statement, I have used the word fault to refer to these. We provide a free service but must use public money carefully. We may decide not to start or continue with an investigation if we are satisfied with the actions an organisation has taken or proposes to take. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(7), 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. The statutory children’s complaints procedure was set up to provide children, young people and those involved in their welfare with access to an independent, thorough and prompt response to their concerns. Because of this, if a council has investigated something under the statutory children’s complaint process, the Ombudsman would not normally re-investigate it.
6. However, we may look at whether there were any flaws in the stage two investigation or stage three review panel that could call the findings into question. We may also consider whether a council properly considered the findings and recommendations of the independent investigation and review panel, and whether it has completed any recommendations without delay.
7. Mr X complained the Council did not include him in review meetings about his children. He wanted the Council to explain to his children that he had not been invited to the meetings so they would understand why he had not attended.
8. Mr X’s complaint completed three stages of the statutory children’s services procedure and was partially upheld.
9. The stage two investigation found the Council had not invited Mr X to meetings between October 2021 and March 2024. It also found it had not sent him minutes for meetings held during this period.
10. The review panel at stage three agreed with these findings. It recommended actions for the Council to remedy the injustice caused by not inviting Mr X to the meetings or sending him the minutes, including informing his children he had not been invited.
11. The Council accepted the findings and implemented the recommendations made by the review panel. It also apologised to Mr X.
12. We will not investigate this complaint because we could not add anything more to the investigation already carried out by the Council. From the evidence I have seen, the statutory children’s services complaint procedure was properly implemented, and its findings were reasonable and defensible.
13. The Council’s records state it has also implemented the other recommendations from the review panel. Therefore, I am satisfied with the Council’s actions to remedy the injustice to Mr X.

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Final decision

14. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because the Council has already acted to remedy the injustice caused and further investigation by us would not lead to a different outcome.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman