The Ombudsman's final decision
Summary: We cannot investigate this complaint about what a social worker wrote in a court report and interfering in a court process. This is because neither matter is separable from court proceedings.
The complaint
Mr X said a social worker wrote things about his mental health that were untrue in a report and stopped him presenting himself to a judge.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
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.
I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
Final decision
We cannot investigate Mr X’s complaint because the matters complained of are not separable from court proceedings.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman