Friends and family carers

Recent statements in this category are shown below:

  • Norfolk County Council (18 008 743)

    Statement Not upheld Friends and family carers 09-Jan-2019

    Summary: Mr S complains the Council failed to properly assess him and his wife as special guardians for his grandson. It then failed to send him a copy of the assessment but informed the court he had not challenged it. The investigation is being discontinued because the matters complained of can now be considered by the court.

  • Kent County Council (18 002 735)

    Statement Upheld Friends and family carers 20-Dec-2018

    Summary: Ms X complains the Council did not support her financially or otherwise for over a year when she became a carer for family members, until she obtained a Special Guardianship Order for the children. She also says the Council has failed to provide her with support since then. The Council was at fault as it did not provide Ms X with sufficient information to allow her to make an informed decision about entering a private arrangement. There is no evidence of fault in the support the Council provided to Ms X and the children since then. The Council has agreed to apologise to Ms X and pay her as if she had been a foster carer for the time she cared for the children before the court granted a Special Guardianship Order. It has also agreed to pay her £500 for the time and trouble bringing this complaint and review its procedures for dealing with similar cases in the future.

  • Bracknell Forest Council (18 008 594)

    Statement Not upheld Friends and family carers 17-Dec-2018

    Summary: Mr and Mrs X complain the Council has not reimbursed legal costs after forcing them to seek a child arrangement order. There is no evidence the Council forced Mr and Mrs X to take court action. Mr and Mrs X's grandchildren came to live with them as the result of a private arrangement with their daughter.

  • Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council (18 002 930)

    Statement Upheld Friends and family carers 12-Nov-2018

    Summary: Mr and Mrs X complain that the Council did not provide them with proper support during their time as friends and family foster carers to their grandchildren. There was fault by the Council because it did not complete the statutory children's complaints procedure. To remedy the injustice to the complainants the Council agreed to complete the procedure and a financial remedy to reflect the distress and unnecessary time and trouble suffered by the complainants.

  • Norfolk County Council (18 002 019)

    Statement Upheld Friends and family carers 29-Oct-2018

    Summary: Miss X complains the Council failed to follow the proper process in placing her half-sister with her following removal from her parents. The Council accepts it failed to follow proper procedures and failed to provide clear consistent advice about the financial assistance it would provide when placing her sister with Miss X. These faults caused Miss X considerable distress and anxiety and put her to unnecessary time and trouble. The Council has made an appropriate offer to remedy this injustice.

  • Cornwall Council (18 004 344)

    Statement Not upheld Friends and family carers 18-Oct-2018

    Summary: The Ombudsman has discontinued our investigation into Miss X's complaint about inaccuracies in a child in need assessment for Y. This is because the Council has agreed to consider Miss X's complaint through the statutory complaints procedure.

  • West Sussex County Council (17 017 797)

    Statement Upheld Friends and family carers 15-Oct-2018

    Summary: Mrs G complained that the Council failed to assess her properly as a family and friends foster carer for her granddaughter. The Council was at fault in the way it considered the care arrangements. Mrs G missed out on the chance to receive a fostering allowance as a result. The Council has agreed a suitable remedy including a payment equivalent to the fostering allowance she should have received.

  • Brighton & Hove City Council (18 000 409)

    Statement Upheld Friends and family carers 03-Oct-2018

    Summary: Mrs M complains she has missed out on financial support because the Council has not reviewed D's Special Guardianship Support Plan at least once a year. Any fault has not caused Mrs M injustice.

  • Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames (17 013 483)

    Statement Not upheld Friends and family carers 17-Sep-2018

    Summary: Mr X complains the Council has not provided adequate support for him in his role as legal guardian for his nephew. However, the Ombudsman found no evidence of fault by the Council in this case. Some of Mr X's complaint goes beyond the Ombudsman's jurisdiction and would have to be resolved in court. Although he is unhappy with it, the support offered to Mr X since his nephew came to the country has met the Council's legal obligations.

  • Hampshire County Council (17 011 321)

    Statement Upheld Friends and family carers 31-Aug-2018

    Summary: Mr X complains that the Council upheld some of his complaints about the service he received from the children's services department but would not consider his outstanding grievances further. There was fault by the Council which caused injustice to Mr X. The complaint was closed because the Council acted to remedy the injustice to Mr X.

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