Southend-on-Sea City Council (20 010 865)

Statement Upheld Disabled children 03-Mar-2022

Summary: Ms X complained the Council did not provide appropriate support to meet her child, Y’s, needs. She said it also did not complete a parent carer assessment with her and about poor complaint handling. There was no fault in how the Council assessed Y’s needs and decided they were not eligible for social support. However, it failed to refer them for a mentor as agreed, did not complete an adequate parent carer assessment with Ms X and delayed investigating her complaint. The Council will offer to refer Y for a mentor if still appropriate, complete a parent carer assessment with Ms X and pay Ms X £200 in acknowledgement of the frustration and uncertainty caused.

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council (20 014 157)

Statement Upheld Adoption 02-Mar-2022

Summary: We do not find fault in the investigation of Miss Y’s complaint about an adoption agency’s involvement with her grandchildren who are subject to a Special Guardianship Order. We do not uphold the points of complaint which Miss Y continues to dispute because they have been subject to a thorough and independent investigation. However, we consider the remedy already provided does not go far enough in resolving Miss Y’s injustice. The Council will make a payment of £250 to fully remedy the time and trouble from the fault identified during the complaint investigation. The Council will also meet with Miss Y to consider whether her grandchildren need ongoing support.

Kent County Council (21 004 214)

Statement Upheld Friends and family carers 02-Mar-2022

Summary: Mr F complains the Council failed to provide proper support after he agreed to be a supported homes host for a looked after child. The Council has accepted there was fault. It has agreed to make a payment to Mr F to remedy the injustice caused.

Derbyshire County Council (21 009 326)

Statement Upheld Other 02-Mar-2022

Summary: Mr and Mrs B complained that the Council did not deal with their complaint about children’s services in respect of their daughter C, within the statutory timescales. We found that the Council delayed in telling Mr and Mrs B that it was including the complaint in a wider stage two investigation and delayed in progressing that investigation. We considered Mr and Mrs B have been caused some frustration and uncertainty. The Council has agreed to pay them £150.

Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Council (21 013 774)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 02-Mar-2022

Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about children services actions in 2020. There are no good reasons the late complaint rule should not apply.

Staffordshire County Council (20 012 417)

Report Upheld Looked after children 01-Mar-2022

Summary: Miss C complained about the care and support she received from the Council as a child. Miss C says because of the Council’s fault she did not receive proper support and missed out on a care leavers grant.

Southend-on-Sea City Council (21 015 545)

Statement Upheld Child protection 01-Mar-2022

Summary: The Council is at fault for delaying consideration of this complaint at stage two of the children’s statutory complaints procedure. The Council has agreed to start a stage two investigation by allocating the complaint to an Independent Investigator within a month.

Leeds City Council (21 015 705)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 01-Mar-2022

Summary: We cannot investigate this complaint about the improper involvement of a social worker in a social care case involving Mrs X’s adult son, Mr X. The likely injustice relates to court orders affecting Mr X, and so the complaint is not separable from court proceedings.

London Borough of Redbridge (21 015 732)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 01-Mar-2022

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council not sending the complainant a letter confirming its Children’s Services team had closed a case involving his family. This is because the Council has confirmed when the case was closed. We could not achieve anything more. The complainant’s concerns about the Council’s responses to his requests for information are best dealt with by the Information Commissioner’s Office.

Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames (21 016 179)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Friends and family carers 01-Mar-2022

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint that the Council failed to provide the complainant with appropriate support when he started caring for three children in 2005 and that the Council lost the family's personal records. This is because the events happened too long ago, and complaints about lost personal information can be raised with the Information Commissioner.