Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council (24 013 172)
Category : Education > Alternative provision
Decision : Closed after initial enquiries
Decision date : 20 Jan 2025
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about the Council not supplying alternative provision for her child because it is late.
The complaint
- Miss X complains that the Council failed to supply alternative provision when their child was unable to attend school.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- 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 has done. (Local Government Act 1974, sections 26B and 34D, as amended)
How I considered this complaint
- I considered information provided by Miss X and the Council.
- I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- Miss X complained to the Council in 2022. She complained the Council had not provided alternative provision for her child when they were unable to attend school.
- The matters Miss X complains about happened more than 12 months ago. I do not consider there are good reasons to exercise discretion to consider this late complaint. Therefore, we will not investigate this complaint.
Final decision
- We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint because it is late and there is no good reason to exercise discretion to investigate.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman