Nottinghamshire County Council (24 010 774)

Statement Upheld Disabled children 27-May-2025

Summary: Mr B complained the Council delayed in assessing his family’s need for an extra bedroom for their disabled child. He also complained the assessment did not result in it supporting an application for a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) to create an extra bedroom. We upheld the complaint, finding the Council at fault for delay and not sufficiently considering the impact of its proposal that Mr B should use a reception room as a bedroom instead. This caused injustice to Mr B as distress. We also found fault with a procedure the Council currently has in place with Mr B’s local housing authority (a Borough Council) to consider potential DFG applications. The Council accepted these findings and at the end of this statement, we set out the actions it has agreed to improve its service and remedy the injustice caused to Mr B.

Salford City Council (23 015 691)

Statement Upheld Disabled children 27-May-2025

Summary: Ms X complained the Council failed to properly carry out a child in need assessment in 2021 and wrongly declined to carry out assessments in 2022. She complained this led to a long delay in properly assessing their needs as a family and a delay in providing respite support. She also complained there was a delay in providing Direct Payments once support was agreed. A statutory investigation upheld the complaint and achieved a proper assessment for Ms X. We found there was fault by the Council and that there was outstanding injustice that warranted a remedy. We recommended an apology and a payment to recognise the distress and difficult circumstances Ms X was left in while support was not being provided.

Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council (24 003 172)

Statement Not upheld Friends and family carers 27-May-2025

Summary: The Council was not at fault for how it calculated Mrs X’s special guardianship allowance. The deductions it made from the allowance were consistent with current government guidance.

Lincolnshire County Council (24 020 392)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Looked after children 27-May-2025

Summary: We will not investigate this historical complaint about the Council placing Mr Y in a children’s home in the 1970s. We could not carry out a sound, fair and meaningful investigation given the time that has passed.

Torbay Council (24 022 422)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Looked after children 27-May-2025

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about the Council’s delay in applying to discharge a care order for her children. We could not add to the Council’s investigation and responses under all three stages of the statutory complaints process.

North Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council (25 001 942)

Statement Upheld Other 26-May-2025

Summary: We have upheld this complaint because the Council delayed considering a complaint at stage two of the children’s statutory complaints procedure. The Council has now agreed to resolve the complaint by issuing its stage two response without further delay. It will also apologise and offer to make a payment to the complainant to remedy the time and trouble they have been to.

Newcastle upon Tyne City Council (24 006 622)

Statement Upheld Other 22-May-2025

Summary: Mrs X complained about the way the Council dealt with her son’s care. The Council was at fault for failing to remedy loss of provision and lack of support services, delaying carrying out agreed adaptations to Mrs X’s property and refusing to consider her complaint at stage three of the Children Act complaints procedure. This caused Mrs X distress and uncertainty. The Council should apologise, make a payment, offer additional provision and send us an action plan for service improvements.

Newcastle upon Tyne City Council (24 011 008)

Statement Upheld Other 22-May-2025

Summary: We have upheld this complaint because the Council delayed considering a complaint at stage two of the children’s statutory complaints procedure. The Council has now agreed to resolve the complaint by issuing its stage two response without further delay. It will also apologise and offer to make a payment to the complainant to remedy the time and trouble they have been too.

Portsmouth City Council (24 021 887)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Child protection 22-May-2025

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about an assessment written by a social worker about Mr X’s family. There is not enough evidence of fault by the Council to warrant our further involvement.

Kingston Upon Hull City Council (24 022 066)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Child protection 22-May-2025

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about the Council’s decision to place her children on a child protection plan. The Council has apologised and offered a small remedy payment for not completing assessments sooner and the impact this had on Mrs X’s family. There is nothing more we could achieve by investigating the matter further.