Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the actions of the Council’s children’s services in relation to matters relating to the complainants’ children. This is because the events happened too long ago and I see no good reason why a complaint could not have been made sooner.

The complaint

1. The complainant, who I will call Mr X, complains about the actions of the Council’s children’s services. Mr X complains that social workers involved in the case discriminated against him, lied about him in a report and were bias towards his ex-partner.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. The Local Government Act 1974 sets out our powers but also imposes restrictions on what we can investigate.
3. 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)

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How I considered this complaint

4. I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
5. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

6. The Council’s children’s services became involved with Mr X and his children in 2018. The last record of any contact the Council had with Mr X was in December 2019 and the case was formally closed in April 2020.
7. I will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because the events he complains about happened more than three years ago and therefore the complaint is made late. I see no good reason why Mr X could not have raised this complaint sooner.

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Final decision

8. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because it is made late.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman