Nottinghamshire County Council (18 016 699)

Statement Not upheld Adoption 13-Nov-2019

Summary: Mrs X complains about the Council’s refusal to accept her and her husband to stage 2 of the process to become adoptive parents, causing distress. The Ombudsman finds no fault in the Council’s decision making process.

London Borough of Hounslow (17 018 529)

Statement Upheld Adoption 13-Nov-2019

Summary: Mrs Z complains about the Council’s handling of the payment of the adoption allowance for her two children. She also complains about contact with their sibling and a savings account. There was fault by the Council in requesting copies of paperwork for the savings account, in reducing the adoption allowance without notice, in its calculation of the adoption allowance, in facilitating contact with one of the siblings and in its complaint handling. The Council will apologise where it hasn’t already and will review its procedures.

Suffolk County Council (19 008 821)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Adoption 23-Oct-2019

Summary: Ms X complains the Council refuses to consider her complaint about the social worker involved in her adoption more than 20 years ago. The Ombudsman will not investigate this matter as we have seen no evidence of fault in the Council’s decision.

City of Wolverhampton Council (19 000 899)

Statement Upheld Adoption 15-Oct-2019

Summary: Ms X complains the Council has failed to fully implement the recommendations made by the stage three review panel. The Council’s failure to review and amend its Adoption Support Policy in line with the review panel’s recommendations and the Council’s own assurances amounts to fault.

Plymouth City Council (19 005 795)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Adoption 05-Sep-2019

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Mrs B’s complaint the Council has failed to follow correct procedures for considering them as prospective adopters. This is because there is another agency better placed to consider the central issue and the Ombudsman cannot achieve the result Mrs B wants.

Liverpool City Council (18 006 427)

Statement Upheld Adoption 02-Aug-2019

Summary: Mr B and Mr C complain about a lack of support after the Council placed children with them for adoption. The Council was at fault, including for delaying arranging therapy for the children and for not sharing information properly. Those faults caused the family unnecessary practical difficulties, upset and uncertainty. The Council has agreed our recommendations, including an apology, payments to the family, providing any outstanding adoption support and changing procedures and staff training as necessary.

Lancashire County Council (19 001 713)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Adoption 24-Jul-2019

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Mr and Mrs X’s complaints about the actions of the Council’s officers dealing with their step parent adoption application. The Council has agreed to investigate the complaints and write to Mr and Mrs X.

Suffolk County Council (18 011 493)

Statement Upheld Adoption 16-Jul-2019

Summary: Ms X complains that the Council has not provided a suitable remedy for the faults found in her children’s social care complaint about lack of background information on her adopted child. The Ombudsman finds that the Council did not provide a sufficient remedy to recognise the impact of the long period without the information she needs. The Council has now agreed a suitable remedy including taking steps to obtain the information, reviewing procedures and making a payment to Ms X.

Essex County Council (19 002 714)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Adoption 10-Jul-2019

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about the contact she has with her child. A Court decided Mrs X’s child’s adoption. We could not change that order including the contact she has.

City of Wolverhampton Council (18 009 478)

Statement Upheld Adoption 04-Jul-2019

Summary: The Council was at fault for a seven-month delay in arranging a meeting between Mr and Mrs B and their daughter’s independent reviewing officer, and in providing them with photographs of their daughter from before it placed her for adoption. The Council has agreed to arrange the meeting, provide the photographs and apologise to Mr and Mrs B for the delay.