Sefton Metropolitan Borough Council (24 012 072)

Statement Upheld Friends and family carers 19-May-2025

Summary: Miss D complained that the Council delayed progressing grant-funded adaptations to her home. As a result, her family has been overcrowded for over four years. The Council has accepted there was delay. It has agreed to make a payment to Miss D to remedy the distress caused.

Kingston Upon Hull City Council (24 011 358)

Statement Not upheld Friends and family carers 18-May-2025

Summary: Ms X complained the Council incorrectly deducted the value of benefits she claimed from payments it made to her for caring for two children under a residency order between 2010 and 2019. We ended the investigation because Ms X’s complaint was late and there was insufficient evidence of fault to justify investigating.

Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council (25 000 470)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Friends and family carers 15-May-2025

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about payment of fostering allowances. This is because the complaint is late, and there is no good reason for the delay in complaining to us.

Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council (23 017 549)

Statement Upheld Friends and family carers 11-May-2025

Summary: Mr and Mrs X complained the Council failed to respond to their contacts about caring for young family members when they were taken into care. They also complained about contact arrangements. We found there was some fault in communication and responsiveness. This caused upset and frustration. However, it did not lead to the children being placed with foster carers when this would not have otherwise been the case.

Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council (24 019 016)

Statement Upheld Friends and family carers 06-May-2025

Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about children services’ actions. We have upheld Miss X’s complaint as the Council has now agreed to follow the Children Act statutory complaints’ procedure.

Lancashire County Council (24 004 288)

Statement Not upheld Friends and family carers 13-Apr-2025

Summary: Mrs X complains the Council wrongly claims she is caring for her grandchildren as a private arrangement and has failed to provide appropriate support. We found there is no evidence of fault in the way the Council carried out the investigation under the statutory complaints procedure. The Council has accepted and acted on the investigations findings and recommendations and we cannot add anything significant to the investigation.

Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council (24 006 783)

Statement Upheld Friends and family carers 09-Apr-2025

Summary: Mr and Mrs X complained about the Council’s action since placing their grandson in their care in August 2022. They complain the Council has failed to provide appropriate financial and practical support to assist them in caring for their grandson. We found the Council’s failure follow proper procedure when it placed their grandson in Mr and Mrs X’s care is fault. As was the failure to provide clear information, explanations and support, including financial support. These faults have affected Mr and Mrs X’s health and wellbeing and caused them significant financial difficulties. The Council has agreed to apologise and make a payment to Mr and Mrs X and carry out the stage two report and stage three panel recommendations to address these faults.

Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council (24 018 608)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Friends and family carers 06-Apr-2025

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about the Council’s decision to recover an overpayment of caring allowance. It is unlikely we would find fault.

Lincolnshire County Council (24 015 777)

Statement Upheld Friends and family carers 27-Mar-2025

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about children services’ actions. We have upheld Mrs X’s complaint as the Council has now agreed to follow the Children Act statutory complaints’ procedure.

Coventry City Council (22 011 292)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Friends and family carers 13-Mar-2025

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s actions in removing his children and while they were away from his care. A court decided who should care for the children and matters connected with that are ones we are legally prevented from investigating. Data matters are ones the Information Commissioner would be better placed than us to consider. The remaining administrative matters are ones where we could not add to the Council’s own investigation. And we could not achieve Mr X’s desired outcomes by investigating.