London Borough of Camden (18 018 921)

Statement Upheld Looked after children 08-Jul-2020

Summary: Mr X, a care leaver, complains the Council failed to provide him with proper support and made mistakes with his financial support that resulted in arrears. He says this made it impossible for him to relocate from an undesirable location and ultimately contributed to him being made homeless. He also complains about the Council's delay in investigating his complaint and its eventual decision not to investigate his complaint at stage three. He says this caused him distress. The Council has accepted partial fault for some of Mr X's complaint. It has suggested a remedy. The Ombudsman finds further fault and has made further recommendations.

Kent County Council (19 013 265)

Statement Upheld Looked after children 06-Jul-2020

Summary: Mr X complained the Council restricted contact with his two children who are subject to a care order and live in foster care to six supervised visits a year. He said the Council has failed to transition the children back to his care after agreeing to do so. The Council was not at fault. It carried out regular child in care reviews, considered the outcome of parent assessments and psychological assessments and considered the children's views and wishes. It decided it was in the children's best interests to remain in foster care and decided not to change Mr X's contact arrangements. The Council was at fault for failing to provide Mr X with consultation documents after it excluded him from the child in care reviews. It has already apologised for this oversight, but I have made a service recommendation to prevent recurrence of this fault.

Liverpool City Council (19 015 025)

Statement Upheld Looked after children 03-Jul-2020

Summary: Mr X complains about the Council's alleged failure to support him when he was in the care of the local authority, and when left care. In particular, he complains the Council has failed to regularise his immigration status by failing to secure him with British citizenship and a passport. There is evidence of Council fault and the Council has agreed to identify an appropriate solicitor and fund the application, which it agreed to do in 2017.

Manchester City Council (19 000 166)

Statement Upheld Looked after children 25-Jun-2020

Summary: I am unable to investigate Miss C's complaint about how the Council supported her a after she started caring for her godchild. However, there was fault in how the Council dealt with her complaints about the matter. It will offer Miss C a payment to remedy the time and trouble she went to pursuing this complaint.

Warwickshire County Council (18 019 214)

Statement Upheld Looked after children 28-May-2020

Summary: Mr X says the Council has failed to carry out the actions it agreed to take after his complaint was partially upheld. He says it failed to remedy failings in its communication with him about his children. He says this caused him injustice as it increased his distress and affected his relationship with his children. The Council has accepted fault and suggested a remedy we consider appropriate.

Manchester City Council (19 005 254)

Statement Upheld Looked after children 27-May-2020

Summary: The Council has accepted that there were faults in the way it has looked after the complainant, when in its care, and since leaving care. In particular, the Council failed to ensure the complainant obtained a passport and this has had significant consequences for him. The Ombudsman has now considered the injustice caused by the Council's errors. The Council has accepted the findings and recommended actions.

London Borough of Newham (19 006 182)

Statement Upheld Looked after children 09-Mar-2020

Summary: The complainant alleges that the Council has failed to pay all the allowances he was entitled to as a child, in its care, and since he became a care leaver. The Ombudsman considers that the Council has been at fault by not carrying out an independent investigation of the complainant's concerns under the Children Act 1989 statutory complaints process. The Council has now agreed to do this. Therefore, this resolves the complaint and the Ombudsman is closing the complaint.

West Berkshire Council (19 010 574)

Statement Not upheld Looked after children 24-Feb-2020

Summary: Mr X complains that the Council has failed to act on recommendations made by a court-appointed expert in relation to his daughter. Parts of the complaint are outside the Ombudsman's jurisdiction. The Ombudsman will not investigate the rest of the complaint further as it could not achieve the outcome Mr X is looking for.

Herefordshire Council (19 006 691)

Statement Upheld Looked after children 19-Feb-2020

Summary: The Council failed to provide Miss X's son with appropriate levels of care and support whilst he was in the Council's care. The Council identified this during its investigation of Miss X's complaint but failed to provide a remedy for the injustice this caused. The Council should pay Miss X £1500 to recognise the distress caused and her time and trouble pursuing this complaint. The Council should also pay Miss X's son £1000 to recognise the uncertainty he has been caused.

Birmingham City Council (19 000 728)

Statement Not upheld Looked after children 03-Feb-2020

Summary: Mr X complained the Council refused to investigate historical abuse allegations he made against his former foster parent and did not support him when he transitioned from foster care to university. He said this caused him significant emotional distress and impeded his social and educational development. The Council oversaw a satisfactory investigation by another Council into the allegations and has agreed to review Mr X's other complaint points. There was no fault in the Council's actions.