The Ombudsman's final decision
Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about the placement of her brother in 2021. This is because the complaint is late and I have seen no reason to exercise my discretion to investigate.
The complaint
Ms X complains that the Council placed her brother to live her in 2021.
She says she was financially vulnerable at the time and the Council’s decision meant she missed out on Child Tax Credits payments and other financial payments.
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 Ms X and the Council.
I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
Ms X complains about the Council's handling of her brother’s assessment needs under the Children Act 1989.
However, her complaint stems from 2021 and is therefore well over 12 months old. I have seen no reason to exercise our discretion and investigate his complaint.
Final decision
We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint because it is late and we have seen no reason why she could not have come to us much sooner.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman