Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of matters involving Mrs X and two foster children. The Council has already investigated and responded to some of Mrs X’s concerns under all three stages of the statutory complaint procedure. It has apologised for the injustice caused by the faults identified. We could not add to the Council’s response or achieve anything more.

The complaint

1. Mrs X complains about the actions taken by the Council and its lack of support in relation to her care of two children she previously fostered.
2. She says that as a result, the Council investigated the same allegations made against her twice, causing unnecessary distress, there was avoidable damage to her home and vehicle and she and her husband have been left unable to foster. This has had a financial impact on them.
3. Mrs X wants to be put back in the position she was in before the above events took place, to be compensated for the damage caused to her home and vehicle, and ensure other foster carers are not treated the same as she was.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

4. We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’, which we call ‘fault’. We must also consider whether any fault has had an adverse impact on the person making the complaint, which we call ‘injustice’. We provide a free service but must use public money carefully. We do not start or continue an investigation if we decide there is no worthwhile outcome achievable by our investigation. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))

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How I considered this complaint

5. I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
6. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

7. Further investigation of Mrs X’s complaints by us is unlikely to add to the Council’s consideration of Mrs X’s complaints. The Council’s responses during the statutory children’s complaint procedure were detailed and thorough. The remedial action the Council offered to Mrs X is in line with the recommendations we would typically expect in such cases.
8. We will not normally investigate a complaint which has already been through all stages of the statutory process. It is not a good use of public money to do so. There is unlikely to be further evidence available that would lead us to a different outcome or conclusions. In this case, the question for us is whether our intervention would add anything to the Council’s investigation and there is nothing to suggest that it would do so.

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Final decision

9. We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint because there is no worthwhile outcome achievable by our investigation.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman