Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s refusal to change the social worker assigned to the complainant’s family. This is because investigation would not achieve the outcome the complainant wants.

The complaint

1. The complainant, who I will refer to as Mr X, complains that the Council has refused his request to change the social worker assigned to his family’s case.

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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 cannot achieve the outcome someone wants. (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.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. Mr X has asked the Council to change the social worker responsible for his family’s case. He says the current social worker is unsupportive and that he and his partner are not comfortable with her. He says she delayed responding to a call from him.
6. The Council has declined to replace the social worker, though it agreed to pass Mr X’s concerns to the relevant manager. Mr X is not satisfied with the response.
7. The Ombudsman will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because we cannot achieve what he wants. It is for the Council to allocate work to its officers and the Ombudsman will not criticise how it does so. Our intervention would not result in a change of social worker and is not therefore warranted.

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Final decision

8. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because we cannot achieve the outcome he wants.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman