Devon County Council (23 011 565)

Statement Upheld Looked after children 22-Nov-2024

Summary: Mrs X complained about the way the Council dealt with the care of her children. The Council was at fault for not considering Mrs X’s complaint through the children’s statutory complaints procedure. The Council will apologise to Mrs X for the frustration and uncertainty this caused and consider her complaint further.

London Borough of Wandsworth (24 001 630)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Looked after children 22-Nov-2024

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about backdated Child Arrangement Order payments. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault in the decision-making process.

London Borough of Croydon (23 020 130)

Statement Upheld Looked after children 19-Nov-2024

Summary: Miss D complained the Council placed her in unsuitable accommodation and it failed to take timely action to address the issues with the accommodation. She also complained the Council failed to provide her with appropriate redress for the damage caused to her possessions and the impact on her mental and physical health. We find the Council was at fault for how it dealt with Miss D’s accommodation and how it dealt with her complaint about the matter. The Council has agreed to our recommendations to address the injustice caused by fault.

Wiltshire Council (24 009 789)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Looked after children 11-Nov-2024

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about what happened when Ms X was adopted in the 1970s. This is because the complaint is late, and the issues raised took placed too long ago for us to now properly investigate. The police are the appropriate body to investigate crimes and a claim for compensation needs to be considered by the courts.

London Borough of Newham (24 002 314)

Statement Upheld Looked after children 11-Nov-2024

Summary: Miss X complained to the Council about its actions when she was in its care as a child and as a care leaver. We found that the Council was at fault for not agreeing to investigate the complaints under the statutory Children Act 1989 complaints’ procedures. The Council has now agreed to start a statutory investigation at stage two without delay. We have therefore completed our investigation and are closing the complaint.

Plymouth City Council (24 001 826)

Statement Upheld Looked after children 07-Nov-2024

Summary: We found fault on Miss W’s complaint about the way the Council dealt with her daughter when it decided to place her for adoption. It delayed telling her of abuse by the prospective adopter and a change of circumstances for almost two years. Records were incomplete, there was a failure to promptly get guidance, and case management was weak. The agreed action remedies the injustice caused.

London Borough of Brent (23 019 377)

Statement Upheld Looked after children 05-Nov-2024

Summary: Ms X complained on behalf of Y. Ms X said the statutory complaints process failed to address the injustice caused to Y by the Councils failure to provide support to them as a looked after child. There was no fault in how the Council investigated the complaint under the statutory children’s complaints procedure. We therefore have no grounds to question or reinvestigate its findings and the Council provided evidence it carried out the recommendations made. However, the Council was at fault for delay in completing the stage 2 investigation and delay in holding the stage 3 review panel. The Council will apologise, pay Y a symbolic payment and act to improve its services.

London Borough of Bexley (24 008 898)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Looked after children 01-Nov-2024

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint that the Council has been at fault in its response to the complainant’s daughter’s needs and his subsequent complaint. This is because investigation would not lead to a different outcome.

Shropshire Council (24 008 914)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Looked after children 01-Nov-2024

Summary: We will not investigate X’s complaint about children services’ actions. We are unlikely to find fault which has caused X a direct injustice and the Information Commissioner’s Office is better placed.

London Borough of Lambeth (24 005 401)

Statement Not upheld Looked after children 20-Oct-2024

Summary: We have discontinued our investigation because the Council is still considering Ms X’s complaint.