Cumbria County Council (20 011 755)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Looked after children 17-Mar-2021

Summary: We will not investigate Mr B’s complaint that the Council failed to act to protect him from abuse while he was in its care as a child. This is because we cannot achieve the outcome Mr B wants.

Gloucestershire County Council (20 004 771)

Statement Upheld Looked after children 16-Mar-2021

Summary: Mr X complains about the care of his daughter in foster care, about the Council’s unjustified restrictions on his contact with her and about the Council’s poor communications and complaints handling. The Council is only at fault in its communications. It had already remedied its fault with an apology to Mr X before he approached us.

Leicestershire County Council (20 011 239)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Looked after children 10-Mar-2021

Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about support to her family before her daughter was taken into care in 2017, and the care of her daughter afterwards. We cannot investigate the conduct of court proceedings. The support matter is historic, and Miss X could have come to us much sooner. There is no consent for Miss X to complain on her now adult daughter’s behalf.

Devon County Council (20 010 820)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Looked after children 05-Mar-2021

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs B’s complaint that the Council has been at fault in its involvement with her and in the care of her children. This is because it is unlikely we could add to the investigation the Council has carried out, or that our intervention would lead to a different outcome.

Norfolk County Council (19 020 127)

Statement Upheld Looked after children 05-Mar-2021

Summary: There was fault in how the Council arranged alternative education provision for a looked after child, after problems with their behaviour led to exclusions and a foster placement broke down. The Council has agreed to make a suitable payment to remedy the injustice this caused.

Hampshire County Council (20 010 663)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Looked after children 03-Mar-2021

Summary: We cannot investigate Mr X’s complaints about reports and assessments used in Court proceedings. We will not investigate assessments in 2016 and 2017 as there are no good reasons why the late complaint rule should not apply. And the Information Commissioner’s Office is better placed to consider Mr X’s data protection complaint.

London Borough Of Barnet (20 001 487)

Statement Upheld Looked after children 26-Feb-2021

Summary: Mr B complained about the actions the Council took in respect of his complaints about the service he received as a care leaver. We found the Council was at fault and should have considered Mr B’s complaint at stage three of the statutory complaints procedure. But we consider the action taken by the Council including the payment offered (£1500), is sufficient to put matters right.

Leeds City Council (20 008 121)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Looked after children 25-Feb-2021

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint that the Council has failed to deal with his complaint about his son who is in care and problems with contact arrangements. The Council has agreed to deal with the complaint and keep to the legal time requirements. Mr X may return to this office if he disagrees with the outcome.

Suffolk County Council (20 009 934)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Looked after children 22-Feb-2021

Summary: We cannot investigate Mr X’s complaint about the level of contact he gets with his children. The Court decided this.

Devon County Council (20 009 025)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Looked after children 08-Feb-2021

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint that a foster carer abused and neglected a child that the complainant later adopted. This is because it is a late complaint.