Northamptonshire County Council (18 014 059)

Statement Upheld Other 25-Oct-2019

Summary: the Council failed to follow its procedures when conducting a child in need investigation, misled Mr B, delayed closing the case and delayed responding to his complaint. That left Mr B frustrated, uncertain about whether the outcome would have been different but for the fault and led to him going to time and trouble to pursue his complaint. An apology, procedural changes and payment to Mr B is satisfactory remedy for the injustice caused.

Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council (19 008 555)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 25-Oct-2019

Summary: The Ombudsman will not and cannot investigate Ms X’s complaint. We cannot investigate issues which a Court is considering and the Health and Care Professions Council is better placed to consider a social worker’s conduct.

Surrey County Council (19 011 734)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 24-Oct-2019

Summary: Miss X complains the Council has sought to have her children removed from her care and has lied in court when doing so. She says it has torn her family apart and its actions have caused her emotional harm. The Ombudsman cannot investigate Miss X’s complaint. This is because the matters she complains about have already been, or are in the process of being considered in court. This means they are out of our jurisdiction.

Birmingham City Council (19 008 404)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 18-Oct-2019

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about the content of a Section 7 report and the conduct of the social worker who produced it. This is because concerns about the report could have been raised in court, and we have no powers to consider what happened during legal proceedings.

Warrington Council (18 013 731)

Statement Upheld Other 16-Oct-2019

Summary: Ms B complains about the actions of the Council following referral alleging emotional abuse of her daughter, D, by D’s father. She also complains about how the Council dealt with her complaint about the matter. The Ombudsman finds no fault by the Council in how it dealt with the concerns of abuse Ms B raised with it, and any faults in the statutory complaint investigation were not so significant as to warrant re-investigation of the complaint by the Ombudsman. There was however delay by the Council in completing its consideration of her complaint. As a result, Ms B was put to some time and trouble pursuing the matter, for which the Council has agreed appropriate remedy.

Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council (19 009 528)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 15-Oct-2019

Summary: Ms X and Ms Y are special guardians for a child under their care. They complain that a Section 7 report which the Council prepared for a Child Arrangement Order court hearing about him contains contradictions, inconsistencies and inaccuracies. They say it portrays them in a very negative manner and is derogatory in nature. The Ombudsman cannot investigate this complaint. This is because the matters which Ms X and Ms Y complain about have already been considered in court and therefore are out of our jurisdiction.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council (19 008 454)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 14-Oct-2019

Summary: Miss X complains the Council took her daughter into care and this action was unjustified. She says the case it presented in court was based on inaccurate information and it is not complying with the direction that was given by the judge. She states the Council’s actions have had a significant impact on her health and deprived her of spending precious time with her daughter. The Ombudsman cannot investigate Miss X’s complaint. This is because the matters she complains about have already been considered in court and therefore are out of our jurisdiction.

Surrey County Council (19 007 995)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 13-Oct-2019

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Ms A’s complaint that the Council has failed to correct an inaccurate report it completed about her family. This is because she may bring her concerns to the attention of the Information Commissioner, who is better placed than the Ombudsman to consider the substantive matter.

London Borough of Sutton (19 008 849)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 08-Oct-2019

Summary: Miss X complains the Council fabricated a report which it submitted to the family court and this led to her daughter being removed from her care. She says these actions have harmed her daughter’s wellbeing and had a financial impact on her. She wants the case sent back to court and her daughter returned to her care. The Ombudsman cannot investigate Miss X’s complaint. This is because the matters she complains about have already been considered in court and therefore are out of our jurisdiction.

Staffordshire County Council (18 015 217)

Statement Upheld Other 07-Oct-2019

Summary: the Council failed to provide effective support for Ms M to care for her son, H, when it decided more support was needed. As a result, Ms M has been left to care for H without the support the Council decided she needed. This lasted over a year. The Council did not make a decision at all when Ms M said she could no longer cope and asked the Council to take H into care.