Essex County Council (20 002 897)

Statement Upheld Friends and family carers 17-Feb-2021

Summary: Ms X complained the Council failed to complete a Parent Carers Needs Assessment after she asked it for support with her son, Y. We found the Council was at fault. That has caused Ms X avoidable frustration. The Council has agreed to assess Ms X and Y and apologise for not completing the assessment when she initially asked for support. It will also pay her £150 to remedy any injustice caused.

Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council (20 002 218)

Statement Upheld Friends and family carers 13-Jan-2021

Summary: Whilst the Council was at fault for having a policy in place which was not in line with guidance, there is insufficient evidence to show that this caused Mr C an injustice. This is because, on balance, it is unlikely Mr C would have completed the necessary courses to have been eligible for carer skills payments.

Herefordshire Council (20 000 734)

Statement Upheld Friends and family carers 08-Jan-2021

Summary: Mrs X complains about the Council's handling of a child's placement into her care. She says the Council failed to correctly assess the needs of the child and did not put the child's needs first. Mrs X says the Council did not adequately address the impact of its actions on her, her family and the child. She says the Council's actions caused avoidable distress and financial loss to her. We have found fault by the Council in this matter and the Council has agreed a remedy to address the injustice caused.

Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council (19 010 155)

Statement Not upheld Friends and family carers 23-Dec-2020

Summary: Mrs X complained the Council did not provide her with sufficient advice to make an informed choice about her options when she became a carer for her grandchild, Z. She said the Council then pressurised her into becoming a special guardian and had not provided enough financial support. The Council was not at fault.

Redcar & Cleveland Council (19 018 436)

Statement Upheld Friends and family carers 11-Dec-2020

Summary: Ms X complained the Council stopped her Special Guardianship Allowance in 2016 although she was experiencing financial hardship at the time. During our investigation, the Council admitted it acted with fault. It has awarded Ms X £22,300 in back payments. This is satisfactory to remedy the injustice the Council caused her. The Council has also agreed to carry out an audit of special guardians to ensure others have not been affected by the same fault.

Devon County Council (20 003 495)

Statement Not upheld Friends and family carers 03-Dec-2020

Summary: Ms X complains the Council has refused to pay her legal fees despite agreeing to do so. There is no evidence the Council advised Ms X to obtain legal advice or agreed to fund the cost of this advice. The Council's refusal to pay Ms X's legal fees does not therefore amount to fault.

Durham County Council (19 020 852)

Statement Not upheld Friends and family carers 02-Dec-2020

Summary: The Council was not at fault for its decision to end Mrs B's special guardianship support. It properly applied its policy and statutory guidance, and considered detailed information about her finances, so we cannot question its decision.

Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council (19 016 116)

Statement Upheld Friends and family carers 06-Nov-2020

Summary: Mr X complained about the Council's failure to assess him for a Residence Order Allowance in 2009. The Council was at fault for failing to consider his need for a Residence Order Allowance in 2009. That caused Mr X avoidable uncertainty as he does not know whether he would have been eligible for support. The Council has offered to pay Mr X £1500. This remedies the injustice it caused him.

Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council (19 015 369)

Statement Upheld Friends and family carers 28-Oct-2020

Summary: Mr X complained about the Council's handling of his requests for a special guardianship allowance. Mr X said this caused him financial difficulties. The Council had already investigated under the statutory children's complaints procedures, found it acted with fault and taken suitable steps to address the injustice caused to Mr X and to make the relevant procedural changes. We could achieve nothing further.

Lancashire County Council (19 016 674)

Statement Upheld Friends and family carers 21-Oct-2020

Summary: Mrs X complained the Council failed to offer financial support when her grandchildren came to live with her. She says this caused her financial hardship. The Council was at fault for not providing basic information about the different ways someone can care for another person's child and for not considering whether it could offer financial support when she asked for it. It should pay her £150 for the uncertainty caused and consider the request for financial assistance.