Devon County Council (23 001 435)

Report Upheld Other 08-Aug-2024

Summary: Miss B complained on behalf of her son, Mr C, that the Council failed to ensure an effective transition of social work services when he turned 18. In particular, that he had to leave a children’s home placement and move to a supported living placement 30 miles away. This left him further from his family and place of education, for which the Council initially failed to provide transport. Miss B says as a result Mr C became isolated from her and missed half a term of education. Miss B says the Council knew Mr C experiences anxiety and has a history of self-harming and its actions put him at increased risk of these behaviours. Miss B says she also suffered her own distress being unable to see Mr C as often as before.

North Yorkshire Council (23 016 474)

Statement Upheld Other 23-Jul-2024

Summary: Miss X complains the Council did not carry out the agreed actions from its stage three review of her complaint and did not provide a remedy for the injustice caused. Miss X says this has caused further distress. The Ombudsman finds fault with the Council for failing to consider and provide a suitable remedy for the fault found during the statutory complaints process. The Council has agreed to pay Miss X a financial remedy and carry out service improvements.

Leeds City Council (24 002 291)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Child protection 23-Jul-2024

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint that the Council has refused to consider the complainants concerns about the actions of social workers. This is because investigation by the Ombudsman would achieve no worthwhile outcome.

Warwickshire County Council (24 003 344)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Child protection 23-Jul-2024

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council blocking Miss X’s complaint. There is not enough evidence of fault by the Council to warrant investigation.

Lincolnshire County Council (24 003 391)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Looked after children 23-Jul-2024

Summary: We cannot investigate Miss X’s complaints about the Council’s actions during court proceedings because the issues complained about have been considered by a court and the law says we cannot investigate. We did not investigate part of Miss X’s complaint because it is too closely related to the matters considered by a court.

Norfolk County Council (24 002 229)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Friends and family carers 22-Jul-2024

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about children services reply to his complaint. It is reasonable to expect Mr X to have requested a stage three review panel hearing on time. And it is unlikely we would criticise its decision to refuse a late request.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council (24 003 147)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 22-Jul-2024

Summary: We cannot investigate most of Mr X’s complaints about the Council’s actions during court proceedings because the issues complained about have been considered by a court and the law says we cannot investigate. We did not investigate part of Mr X’s complaint because it is too closely related to the matters considered by a court.

Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council (24 003 258)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Child protection 22-Jul-2024

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the accuracy of a child and family assessment. The Information Commissioner’s Office is better placed. And we are unlikely to achieve a significantly different remedy than the Council provided via its complaints’ procedure.

Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council (24 003 296)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Disabled children 22-Jul-2024

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision not to offer direct payments to Miss X to assist with her children’s care needs. The Council acted properly in assessing the children’s needs under its criteria and we cannot adjudicate matters of lawfulness, which only a court could decide. Although the Council took too long to carry out its assessment and to deal with Miss X’s complaint, this did not cause her to lose direct payments.

London Borough of Camden (24 004 606)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Child protection 22-Jul-2024

Summary: We cannot investigate Ms X’s complaint about her child being removed from her care and an adoption order being made because it lies outside our jurisdiction. The law prevents us from investigating complaints about matters that have been subject to, and decided in, court proceedings. We have no discretion to do so.