The Ombudsman's final decision
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about a safeguarding review by the Council concerning a case involving the murder of a child widely covered by national media . Mr X has not claimed any relationship to the child involved. The Council’s actions in respect of the child are not likely to have caused him any injustice that would warrant investigation by us.
The complaint
Mr X said the Council failed to conduct a child safeguarding review before a trial. He said it had since engaged in secrecy and has issued a warning to him.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
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 any fault has not caused injustice to the person who complained.
(Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))
How I considered this complaint
I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
The case to which Mr X refers was of the utmost seriousness. But he has provided no evidence he has any relationship to the child. The Council’s actions are not therefore likely to have caused him sufficient injustice to warrant investigation by us.
Final decision
We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because there is not enough evidence of personal injustice to him from the Council actions to warrant our further involvement.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman