Manchester City Council (20 012 170)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Child protection 10-Mar-2021

Summary: We will not investigate Miss B’s complaint that the Council’s social worker and her manager were at fault in the course of child protection action relating to her son. This is because we cannot achieve the outcome Miss B wants.

Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council (19 016 642)

Statement Not upheld Friends and family carers 10-Mar-2021

Summary: Ms X complains that the Council failed to fulfil its promise of financial support after she obtained a Special Guardianship Order. She also complains that the Council refused to allow her to change her social worker. There is no fault by the Council.

Halton Borough Council (20 001 737)

Statement Upheld Other 10-Mar-2021

Summary: Mrs D complained about the Council’s involvement with her family after an incident of domestic violence. We find the Council was at fault when it wrongly told Mrs D’s husband that he could not return home. The Council also failed to explain the purpose of Child in Need meetings, delayed providing her with a document after repeated requests, delayed dealing with her complaint and failed to consider her complaint under the statutory complaints procedure. The Council has agreed to our recommendations to remedy the injustice caused.

London Borough of Merton (19 019 218)

Statement Not upheld Other 09-Mar-2021

Summary: Mr J complained he had been unable to see his children at a contact centre since 2018 because of Council fault. He felt the Council should promote and support his children’s contact with him and that its failure to do so had caused him significant distress and time and trouble going to the contact centre but not seeing them. There is no evidence of Council fault.

Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames (20 010 937)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Child protection 09-Mar-2021

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about a Council assessment and the Council’s communications with him. These matters are not separable from the residence of his children, where he has a right to go to court it would be reasonable to use.

Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council (20 011 271)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 09-Mar-2021

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about information accuracy, sharing and the Council labelling him. The Information Commissioner’s Office is better placed to consider this dispute. And there is insignificant injustice caused by the Council’s marker on his case.

North Somerset Council (20 011 351)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Child protection 09-Mar-2021

Summary: We cannot investigate Mr C’s complaint about the involvement of the Council’s children’s services with his family. This is because the matter has been considered in court.

Lancashire County Council (20 009 536)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 08-Mar-2021

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about in delays in providing a service by the Council’s Children and Family Wellbeing Service regarding an application for a Court Arrangements Order. This is because part of the complaint is made late and is out of our jurisdiction, and there is nothing further that we could achieve in respect of the follow up complaint.

Norfolk County Council (19 020 127)

Statement Upheld Looked after children 05-Mar-2021

Summary: There was fault in how the Council arranged alternative education provision for a looked after child, after problems with their behaviour led to exclusions and a foster placement broke down. The Council has agreed to make a suitable payment to remedy the injustice this caused.

Suffolk County Council (20 003 267)

Statement Upheld Other 05-Mar-2021

Summary: Mr X complains the Council failed to properly investigate his complaint about bias and collusion. We found the Council’s investigation was inadequate and lacked sufficient evidence for its assurances. This caused Mr X uncertainty about whether the outcome may have been different. To remedy the injustice caused the Council has agreed to apologise and consider the complaint at stage two of its corporate complaints procedure without delay.