Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council (20 011 254)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 05-Mar-2021

Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about the Council’s actions in 2016. She could have come to us sooner and there is no good reason to investigate the matter now.

Staffordshire County Council (20 011 081)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 05-Mar-2021

Summary: We should not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the actions of social workers towards him before, during and after a court case concerning his children. These matters are not separable from those which have either been heard in court or where Mr X has a right to return to court it would be reasonable to use.

Suffolk County Council (20 003 267)

Statement Upheld Other 05-Mar-2021

Summary: Mr X complains the Council failed to properly investigate his complaint about bias and collusion. We found the Council’s investigation was inadequate and lacked sufficient evidence for its assurances. This caused Mr X uncertainty about whether the outcome may have been different. To remedy the injustice caused the Council has agreed to apologise and consider the complaint at stage two of its corporate complaints procedure without delay.

Kent County Council (19 011 815)

Statement Upheld Child protection 05-Mar-2021

Summary: Ms X complains that both councils – Kent and Havering – failed to take safeguarding action when her older, adult son disclosed that he had sexually abused her younger son, who is a child, six years previously. Kent was at fault for a two-month delay in telling Havering about the disclosure, and both councils were at fault for failing to tell Ms X about it in good time. Both councils also failed to properly communicate with each other when considering safeguarding action, which meant neither held a strategy discussion to explore the potential risk. Ms X’s younger son, who, it appears, was not actually a victim of abuse, suffered no injustice. But both councils have agreed to provide remedies to recognise Ms X’s distress, and to change their procedures and train their staff to prevent similar failures in future.

London Borough of Havering (19 011 816)

Statement Upheld Child protection 05-Mar-2021

Summary: Ms X complains that both councils – Kent and Havering – failed to take safeguarding action when her older, adult son disclosed that he had sexually abused her younger son, who is a child, six years previously. Kent was at fault for a two-month delay in telling Havering about the disclosure, and both councils were at fault for failing to tell Ms X about it in good time. Both councils also failed to properly communicate with each other when considering safeguarding action, which meant neither held a strategy discussion to explore the potential risk. Ms X’s younger son, who, it appears, was not actually a victim of abuse, suffered no injustice. But both councils have agreed to provide remedies to recognise Ms X’s distress, and to change their procedures and train their staff to prevent similar failures in future.

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.

Kent County Council (20 004 241)

Statement Upheld Other 04-Mar-2021

Summary: The Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal (SENDIST) recommended the Council consider a personal budget to meet Ms X’s social care needs. Ms X complained the Council failed to follow that recommendation. We find the Council did consider the recommendation of the Tribunal. There was some fault because the Council failed to document its discussions about the recommendation. However, that fault did not cause injustice to Ms X because the Council fully set out the reasons for its decision in a letter. The Council has agreed to improve its record-keeping.

London Borough of Camden (20 010 056)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 04-Mar-2021

Summary: We cannot investigate Ms C’s complaint about the contents of a social work assessment. This is because this matter is subject to court proceedings.

Telford & Wrekin Council (20 011 569)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 04-Mar-2021

Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint that the Council provided a court with a biased report and did not follow up concerns about her children in 2018 and 2019. We cannot investigate what happens in a court and Ms X complains late, outside the 12-month permitted period.

Cumbria County Council (20 006 641)

Statement Upheld Other 04-Mar-2021

Summary: We find fault with the Council for failing to allow Mr B to progress his complaint through the Councils complaint process. This caused injustice to Mr B. The Council agrees actions to remedy the injustice.