Overview:

Key to names used

• Miss X The complainant

• B - Her younger child

• C - Her elder child

Summary

Miss X complained the Council excessively and disproportionately intervened after a traumatic premature birth. She said the Council wrongly considered care proceedings, put both of her children on child protection plans, and communicated poorly. Miss X said the Council’s actions scarred and traumatised her, and caused significant distress. She said the experience significantly impacted her mental health. Miss X said she felt shamed, bullied and misjudged. She said she was treated like a danger to her children during one of the most frightening, exhausting and vulnerable times of her life. Miss X said she and her children carry the emotional consequences every day.

Finding

Fault found causing injustice and recommendations made.

Recommendations

The Council must consider the report and confirm within three months the action it has taken or proposes to take. The Council should consider the report at its full Council, Cabinet or other appropriately delegated committee of elected members and we will require evidence of this. (Local Government Act 1974, section 31(2), as amended)

To remedy the injustice caused, within four weeks of the date of this report we recommend the Council:

• issues an apology from a senior level to Miss X for the unnecessary and avoidable distress, frustration, and uncertainty caused by the Council’s actions as documented in this report, and to acknowledge the faults and the impact they had; and,

• makes a payment to Miss X of £350 to remedy the uncertainty caused by the year of delay in providing information to her about Disclosure and Barring Service checks (see paragraphs 87 to 89).

We also recommend the Council keeps its offer of £4,000 open to Miss X (see paragraphs 104 to 107). It is Miss X’s decision whether to accept it.

We recommend that within three months of the date of this report the Council:

• provides evidence that the learning review report was shared in the Child Safeguarding Practice review sub-group;

• provides evidence that the recommendations from the learning review report have been added to the action tracker for progress and monitoring through the sub-group; and

• provides evidence that the recommendations from the learning review report have been tracked and monitored and, where appropriate, continue to be tracked and monitored so the learning is embedded in practice.

The Council has accepted these recommendations.

Print this page