Birmingham City Council (20 004 486)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Child protection 09-Nov-2020

Summary: We cannot investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s involvement regarding his stepchild. The law prevents us from investigating matters that have been considered in court, or related matters. Mr X’s wife can raise the issues as part of the ongoing proceedings.

Rutland County Council (19 012 800)

Statement Not upheld Child protection 06-Nov-2020

Summary: although the Council has not provided evidence of its attempts to engage with Ms M before holding a strategy discussion, or her refusal to allow social workers to speak to B, there are no grounds for the Ombudsman to question the Council’s decisions to begin a child protection investigation or to make B the subject of a child protection plan. I have decided not to investigate the matter further since further investigation is unlikely to lead to a different outcome.

Essex County Council (20 005 378)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Child protection 05-Nov-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Miss X’s complaint that the Council failed to take action to return her children to her care and provided information to a third party without her consent. It is unlikely we could find Council fault caused her children to be not living with her and the Information Commissioner’s Office is better placed to consider her data breach allegation.

Nottinghamshire County Council (19 011 791)

Statement Upheld Child protection 05-Nov-2020

Summary: Miss X complains about the Council’s handling of a child protection referral about her son. I have completed my investigation. There is some fault by the Council. It should apologise, pay Miss X £450 and take action to improve its service.

Bedford Borough Council (20 005 607)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Child protection 03-Nov-2020

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s actions during a court case about his children. We cannot consider much of his complaint because the law prevents us from investigating what happened in court. Some of Mr X’s complaint may be separable from those proceedings, but in any event is now out of time and Mr X has not provided a good reason for the delay in him bringing his complaint to the Ombudsman.

London Borough of Southwark (19 007 742)

Statement Upheld Child protection 02-Nov-2020

Summary: The Council failed to properly follow the procedures or communicate properly with Mr and Mrs B after it received a safeguarding referral relating to their son. The Council has agreed to apologise and take action to prevent similar failings in future.

Hampshire County Council (20 004 700)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Child protection 02-Nov-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Mr G’s complaint about the Council holding and sharing inaccurate information with the court. This is because it is reasonable to expect Mr G to have disputed or to pursue the matter in court, and the Ombudsman cannot investigate what happened in court.

London Borough of Hounslow (19 008 975)

Statement Upheld Child protection 30-Oct-2020

Summary: Mrs X complained the Council conducted a biased investigation into allegations made by a hospital regarding her son, Y’s, safety and wellbeing. She says this resulted in the Council enforcing a child protection plan which was unnecessary and caused her family distress and emotional upset. There was fault when the Council delayed completing the initial assessment within the required timescales. This caused a delay implementing a child protection plan for Y. The Council has agreed to remedy this by reminding its staff of the statutory timescales for completing assessments following safeguarding referrals.

Wiltshire Council (19 014 333)

Statement Not upheld Child protection 28-Oct-2020

Summary: Mr B complains about the accuracy of the Council’s child protection conference notes and its refusal to amend them. He also complains that his children are not being adequately safeguarded despite child protection plans being in place. The Ombudsman finds no fault on the Council’s part.

Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council (20 002 554)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Child protection 27-Oct-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman cannot consider Mrs X’s complaint about the Council’s child protection involvement in relation to her daughter, Ms Y’s, children because it lies outside his jurisdiction. This is because these are matters subject to ongoing court proceedings. The law prevents the Ombudsman from considering such matters.