Devon County Council (24 017 842)

Statement Upheld Fostering 04-Aug-2025

Summary: Miss X complained the Council has wrongly asked her to repay money she received for providing care to a former foster child under a staying put arrangement. We found the Council’s failure to properly advise Miss X regarding the staying put arrangement, and in particular when the arrangement and the payments associated with this arrangement would end, is fault. As was the Council’s failure to identify that payments had continued for 10 months longer than they should have. This fault has led to a significant debt and caused Miss X significant distress and anxiety. The Council will apologise, write off the debt and make a payment to Miss X.

Milton Keynes Council (24 001 991)

Statement Upheld Fostering 22-Jul-2025

Summary: We found no fault on most of Ms Y’s complaints against the Council about when it removed two sets of foster children from her care. The investigation of the allegations against her was done in line with procedures, there was no fault with the decisions to remove the children, and it was entitled to hold an early household review of her fostering status which was done without fault. It accepted it failed to send her confirmation of a variation to her terms of approval as a carer and failed to ensure she received all the supervision she should have done. These failures were fault and caused her an injustice. The Council previously agreed to pay her £250. It also agreed to review why the failures happened and ensure procedures are in place and followed in the future.

Wakefield City Council (25 002 216)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Fostering 17-Jul-2025

Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about a social worker’s report to a Standards of Care investigation. The Council has declined to investigate Miss X’s complaint as it was not involved in the production of the disputed report or the decision to deregister Miss X as a foster carer. We cannot achieve the outcome Miss X wants.

London Borough of Hounslow (25 001 420)

Statement Upheld Fostering 16-Jul-2025

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council taking too long to secure a passport for Mr X’s foster child. There is not enough evidence of fault or injustice to Mr X in the way the Council dealt with his complaint, or the way it responded to the recommendations made by a final stage panel, to warrant investigation by us.

Cheshire East Council (24 016 531)

Statement Upheld Fostering 10-Jul-2025

Summary: Miss X complained the Council’s children’s services department did not effectively communicate with her when her child was placed into voluntary care arranged by the Council. We found fault because the Council failed to consider her complaint under the children’s statutory complaints procedure. This caused Miss X avoidable distress and frustration. To remedy the injustice caused, the Council has agreed to consider Miss X’s concerns through the statutory procedure and apologise for failing to do this originally. It has also agreed to make a payment to her and issue guidance to staff.

Staffordshire County Council (24 013 139)

Statement Not upheld Fostering 03-Jul-2025

Summary: Mr X and Mr Y complained about the Council’s biased and inaccurate information which led to its decision to remove their foster child from their care. They also complained about a lack of support and the Council withholding information. We do not find the Council was at fault.

Staffordshire County Council (24 013 866)

Statement Upheld Fostering 02-Jul-2025

Summary: Miss X complains the Council did not deal properly with a safeguarding investigation regarding a foster family. The Council acted disproportionately, and unprofessionally. Miss X suffered avoidable distress. The Council should pay Miss X £1500.

Bristol City Council (25 001 363)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Fostering 30-Jun-2025

Summary: We cannot investigate this complaint about how the Council has exercised its safeguarding duties to Miss X’s child. The law prevents us from investigating a complaint about the start of court action or what happened in court.

Wiltshire Council (25 000 717)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Fostering 29-Jun-2025

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s placement of a young person with the complainant as a foster carer. This is because the complaint concerns matters which are for the courts to decide, and it would be reasonable for the complainant to take them to court.

Hertfordshire County Council (25 000 505)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Fostering 26-Jun-2025

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the alleged attitude of a social worker in taking three and a half days to make a phone call. The situation is unlikely to have been an emergency and there is not enough evidence of fault or injustice to warrant our further involvement.