Manchester City Council (20 010 606)

Statement Not upheld Fostering 03-Sep-2021

Summary: Miss B complained about the actions of the Council when she and her partner, Mr C were foster carers. We cannot find fault with the actions the Council took.

London Borough of Croydon (20 005 546)

Statement Upheld Fostering 27-Aug-2021

Summary: Miss Y complained about the way the Council dealt with issues relating to her role as a foster carer. The Ombudsman has found fault by the Council in the time taken to complete its complaint handling process, causing injustice. The Council has agreed to remedy this by making a payment to reflect the time and trouble this fault caused Miss Y.

Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council (20 008 861)

Statement Not upheld Fostering 18-Aug-2021

Summary: Mr and Mrs P complain about their de-registration as foster carers. The Council has properly considered their complaint and there are no grounds for the Ombudsman to question the outcome.

Surrey County Council (20 013 216)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Fostering 17-Aug-2021

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about lack of support for her as a foster carer. This is not warranted by the claimed injustice.

Herefordshire Council (20 010 493)

Statement Upheld Fostering 13-Aug-2021

Summary: The Council was at fault for the way it handled Mr X and Mrs Z’s fostering placement. Had the Council provided them with all the relevant information before the placement began they would not have agreed to proceed. The Council has agreed to apologise to Mr X and Mrs Z and make a payment to recognise the distress caused.

London Borough of Camden (21 003 369)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Fostering 10-Aug-2021

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the level of Special Guardianship Allowance paid by the Council. This is because the events happened too long ago, and I see no reason why the complainant couldn’t have asked us to investigate sooner.

Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea (20 002 666)

Statement Upheld Fostering 09-Aug-2021

Summary: Mrs X complained that the Council failed in its statutory duty to provide her with support as a foster carer. She also says the Council failed to pay her in line with the relevant guidance and failed to properly deal with her complaint. She says these faults caused her an injustice because she felt unsupported throughout her time as a foster carer and was paid significantly less than she should have been. We have found the Council was at fault. We have made recommendations to improve its complaints procedure and to backpay Mrs X what she should have been paid, as a long-term foster carer. We have also asked the Council to contact others who might have been in a similar position to Mrs X.

Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council (20 000 658)

Statement Upheld Fostering 06-Aug-2021

Summary: the Council’s response to concerns raised by Mr and Mrs P’s fostering agency identified serious failings with the Council’s removal of a child they fostered. The Council has not, however, responded to Mr and Mrs P’s complaint. The Council has agreed to consider their complaint.

Northamptonshire County Council (20 003 633)

Statement Upheld Fostering 03-Aug-2021

Summary: Mr X complained that the Council did not deal with allegations made against him, as a foster carer, fairly. We found there was fault in the Council’s decision. The Council agreed to apologise, make a payment to Mr X and reconsider its decision.

Cheshire West & Chester Council (21 002 725)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Fostering 19-Jul-2021

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about the Council’s decisions on a looked after child’s care. It is unlikely we would find significant fault causing Mrs X direct injustice.