Reading Borough Council (25 016 254)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Friends and family carers 13-Apr-2026

Summary: We cannot investigate Mr X’s complaint about how the Council completed a viability assessment. Mr X started court action about the matter and so the law says we cannot investigate. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaints about delays in the Council completing a later viability assessment, or delays in it making contact arrangements because there is no evidence of a significant injustice and there is no worthwhile outcome achievable by an investigation.

Leeds City Council (25 017 423)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Friends and family carers 13-Apr-2026

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council failing to correct incorrect data it holds about Miss X as part of an assessment by Children’s Services. The Information Commissioner’s Office is better placed to consider a complaint about data handling, and we could not achieve more for Miss X than the Council has already done, so the matter does not warrant us investigating.

London Borough of Bromley (25 001 793)

Statement Upheld Friends and family carers 01-Apr-2026

Summary: The Council was at fault for delays to its temporary and full approvals of Mrs X as a kinship foster carer. These delays meant she missed out on fostering allowance and fees. The Council was also at fault for its policy on fostering fees, which did not meet its statutory duties to kinship carers. This caused injustice to Mrs X and others. The Council will now make payments to remedy the injustice of all those affected, including Mrs X, and will amend its policy.

Portsmouth City Council (25 007 196)

Statement Upheld Friends and family carers 26-Mar-2026

Summary: Mrs X complained about the way the Council dealt with special guardianship financial support. The Council was at fault for failing to hold annual reviews which caused Mrs X uncertainty. The Council has agreed to apologise for this.

London Borough of Barking & Dagenham (25 015 869)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Friends and family carers 12-Mar-2026

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about Miss X’s contact with the Council and its complaints handling. The Council has already investigated under the children’s statutory complaint procedures, and further investigation by us would not lead to a different outcome.

Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council (25 000 638)

Statement Not upheld Friends and family carers 25-Feb-2026

Summary: Mr X complained about substantive children’s social care matters and asked the Council to progress his complaint to stage 2 of the statutory procedure. We have not found fault in the Council’s decision not to progress his complaint to stage 2. The Council was entitled to rely on Mr X’s clear withdrawal of his complaint and treat the matter as closed, and it was not at fault for refusing to reopen the complaint when he raised this again months later.

London Borough of Bromley (25 012 999)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Friends and family carers 04-Feb-2026

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about special guardianship order financial support. The complaint is late, and there are no good reasons for us to investigate it now.

Surrey County Council (25 021 971)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Friends and family carers 04-Feb-2026

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision not to fund psychotherapy for Ms X. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault in the Council’s decision making to warrant an investigation.

Staffordshire County Council (25 002 963)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Friends and family carers 22-Jan-2026

Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about the Council’s viability assessment and position on care and contact of a child relative. the law prevents us from investigating anything that has or is being considered by a court.

Cambridgeshire County Council (25 007 854)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Friends and family carers 09-Dec-2025

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint that the actions of a social worker towards the complainant were unprofessional and amounted to bullying. Investigation would not lead to a different outcome.