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Friends and family carers

Recent statements in this category are shown below:

  • Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council (20 012 701)

    Statement Upheld Friends and family carers 03-Dec-2021

    Summary: Mr B complained the Council did not provide financial support when he took on responsibility for his granddaughter shortly after she was born in 2005. He said he suffered financial difficulties in providing care for her. There was fault by the Council which caused injustice to Mr B. The Council will make a payment to him.

  • Cambridgeshire County Council (21 000 176)

    Statement Upheld Friends and family carers 01-Dec-2021

    Summary: Mr X complained the Council wrongly reduced the amount of his Residence Order Allowance in 2016 and continued to pay the wrong amount until 2020. He complained the Council failed to carry out means testing during this period and declined to backdate his allowance. Mr X says the Council's actions caused him a lot of avoidable distress and financial hardship. Following our enquiries, the Council agreed to make a backdated payment to Mr X. We found the Council to be at fault. It has agreed to apologise to Mr X and make a payment to recognise the injustice caused.

  • Kingston Upon Hull City Council (20 011 279)

    Statement Upheld Friends and family carers 17-Oct-2021

    Summary: Mrs X complained about how the Council responded to an allegation her husband, Mr X, hurt a child they were caring for. The Council failed to properly record how it decided not to temporarily place the children with their aunt. This caused Mr and Mrs X and the children in the household uncertainty. The Council will pay Mr and Mrs X £200 and place this decision on the children's records. The Council will also remind its staff they must make suitable records of its safeguarding decisions and how they are in a child's best interests.

  • London Borough of Brent (20 006 772)

    Statement Not upheld Friends and family carers 10-Oct-2021

    Summary: Mr X complained the Council acted outside of its powers by paying a court fine for him without his consent and without contacting him before doing so. He says this is unlawful and is aggrieved that the Council has not acknowledged that. I consider that the Council has acknowledged it acted with fault and offered an appropriate remedy to acknowledge any injustice. I am discontinuing this investigation as I cannot achieve the outcome Mr X wants.

  • Leeds City Council (21 004 721)

    Statement Upheld Friends and family carers 04-Oct-2021

    Summary: We have discontinued our investigation into Miss B's complaint about delays to a special guardianship assessment. The Council has already accepted fault and offered a satisfactory remedy.

  • Durham County Council (21 001 062)

    Statement Not upheld Friends and family carers 26-Sep-2021

    Summary: Mr and Mrs P complain about the Council's decision to end Special Guardianship Order allowance payments for their grandchildren. There is no fault in the Council's decision. The Ombudsman cannot question decisions made without fault.

  • East Riding of Yorkshire Council (20 004 148)

    Statement Upheld Friends and family carers 22-Sep-2021

    Summary: Mr Y complains the Council incorrectly decided that his sister, B, was living with him under a private family arrangement. The Ombudsman finds the Council at fault. The Council's failure to accept a duty to accommodate B under section 20 the Children Act 1989 meant Mr Y missed out on the fostering allowance that he was eligible to receive while B lived with him. B missed out on the support that would have been available to her as a looked after child, which left her with uncertainty. To remedy the injustice caused to Mr Y and B, the Council has agreed to: apologise to them and make a payments to Mr Y for the fostering allowance he should have received and to B for the uncertainty.

  • London Borough of Brent (20 008 652)

    Statement Upheld Friends and family carers 21-Sep-2021

    Summary: Ms X complains the Council has failed to provide sufficient support and information, including financial support, in relation to her special guardianship. She seeks compensation and service improvements. The Council is at fault and has caused injustice. It has agreed a financial remedy, service improvement and a review of its payments to Ms X.

  • Norfolk County Council (21 000 187)

    Statement Upheld Friends and family carers 19-Sep-2021

    Summary: Mr X complains about the Council's decision to allow his ex-partner to supervise contact between him and his children. He says the Council did not review its decision. We find fault with the Council for failing to provide Mr X with a copy of the social work assessment at the time it was completed. We have made recommendations.

  • Buckinghamshire Council (21 001 765)

    Statement Upheld Friends and family carers 06-Sep-2021

    Summary: Mrs B complained about the actions of the Council in dealing with her complaint about a child protection investigation. The Council and Mrs B asked the Ombudsman to consider the complaint, as an early referral, after stage two of the procedure had been completed. We did not agree that the early referral criteria have been met. The Council has agreed to hold a stage three review panel and pay Mrs B £150 for the delay in completing stage two.