Suffolk County Council (24 011 718)

Statement Upheld Fostering 21-May-2025

Summary: Mr and Mrs X complained the Council failed to consider their human rights and the fostering services national minimum standards during the Local Authority Designated Officer process. They also say the Council did not give them an opportunity to respond to the allegations against them until it concluded the process. We find the Council was at fault for failing to follow its guidance and tell Mr and Mrs X about the allegations before it concluded the process. This caused Mr and Mrs X distress, upset and uncertainty. The Council has agreed to our recommendations to apologise to Mr and Mrs X, make a payment to them and implement service improvements.

Devon County Council (24 009 233)

Statement Upheld Fostering 19-May-2025

Summary: Mr X complained about the way the Council dealt with foster carer payments. The Council was at fault for having unclear policies in place and failing to respond fully to Mr X’s complaint. This caused Mr X distress and uncertainty. The Council will apologise, make payments and provide evidence that it has cancelled invoices.

Norfolk County Council (24 008 885)

Statement Not upheld Fostering 30-Apr-2025

Summary: Mr and Mrs X complain about a LADO investigation and the removal of a child they were fostering. There was no fault in the Council’s response to allegations by a child Mr and Mrs X fostered.

Leeds City Council (24 019 943)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Fostering 15-Apr-2025

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision not to conclude its consideration of a complaint by a former foster carer. There is insufficient evidence of fault on the Council’s part to warrant investigation.

Hampshire County Council (24 019 935)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Fostering 13-Apr-2025

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint that the Council was at fault in ceasing the complainant’s foster care payments. This is because investigation would not add anything significant to the response the Council has already made, or lead to a different outcome.

London Borough of Hackney (24 018 959)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Fostering 26-Mar-2025

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about the Council’s handling and decision to end a fostering placement. The complaint is late and we are unlikely to add anything to the investigation the Council carried out or achieve the outcomes Mrs X wants.

Northumberland County Council (24 004 200)

Statement Upheld Fostering 25-Mar-2025

Summary: Mrs Y complained about some of her experiences as a foster carer. The Council upheld and partially upheld some of her complaints. We have investigated the areas of complaint which the Council did not uphold. We have also considered whether the remedies already offered by the Council are proportionate. The Council has agreed to make a further payment of £750 to Mrs Y in recognition of the uncertainty and distress cause by the fault. The Council will also provide evidence of some of the service improvements already agreed.

Norfolk County Council (24 017 606)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Fostering 28-Feb-2025

Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about a reference the Council received about her which meant her applications to adopt again in 2019 and 2022 were refused. The complaint lies outside our jurisdiction because it is late and there are no good reasons to exercise discretion to consider it now.

Rutland County Council (24 015 989)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Fostering 24-Feb-2025

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the content of an apology letter the complainant received from the Council. This is because we would not seek to achieve the outcome she is seeking.

Norfolk County Council (24 003 580)

Statement Upheld Fostering 18-Feb-2025

Summary: Mrs X complained about the standard of the Council’s safeguarding investigation under the Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO) process following an allegation from their former foster child. She said the process was not fair. We found some procedural fault in the LADO investigation process, but it did not cause Mrs X significant injustice or affect the outcome.