The Ombudsman's final decision
Summary: We cannot investigate this complaint about a court report. We have no jurisdiction to investigate matters that have been subject to court proceedings.
The complaint
Mr X complains about the actions of a social worker who compiled a section 7 report to court and about the contents of that report.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
The Local Government Act 1974 sets out our powers but also imposes restrictions on what we can investigate.
We cannot investigate a complaint about the start of court action or what happened in court. (Local Government Act 1974, Schedule 5/5A, paragraph 1/3, as amended)
How I considered this complaint
I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
I cannot investigate Mr X’s complaint. A section 7 court report forms part of court proceedings. We have no jurisdiction to investigate any matters related to its content or preparation.
Final decision
We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because we have no jurisdiction to investigate matters that have been subject to court proceedings.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman