Lancashire County Council (25 001 482)

Statement Not upheld Looked after children 06-Jan-2026

Summary: The Council was not at fault for the way it responded to Miss X’s concerns about her children’s foster carer’s actions. It investigated the concerns and took appropriate action based on the information available at the time.

London Borough of Croydon (25 009 339)

Statement Upheld Looked after children 05-Jan-2026

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 which is a proportionate way to resolve the complaint.

Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council (25 004 833)

Statement Upheld Looked after children 24-Dec-2025

Summary: Mrs X complains about the Council’s record keeping in relation to a child, Y, who was previously looked after. The Council was at fault for failing to keep and maintain accurate records and photographs of Y. This caused Mrs X and Y avoidable distress and uncertainty. The Council has agreed to apologise, make a payment to Mrs X on behalf of Y and act to try to locate photographs of Y.

Luton Borough Council (25 009 514)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Looked after children 18-Dec-2025

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s handling of matters involving his child. We have already considered some of the concerns Mr X has raised. The remaining issues could reasonably be mentioned as part of ongoing legal proceedings on a closely related matter.

Birmingham City Council (25 009 215)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Looked after children 10-Dec-2025

Summary: We will not investigate Mr and Ms X’s complaint about how the Council handled child protection enquiries. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault to justify an investigation.

Essex County Council (25 007 688)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Looked after children 08-Dec-2025

Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint the Council failed to safeguard her child. We could not add to the Council’s investigation.

London Borough of Lambeth (24 022 644)

Statement Upheld Looked after children 28-Nov-2025

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about children services’ matters. There are no justifiable reasons to reinvestigate a Children Act statutory complaints’ procedure investigation. And the Council has agreed a proportionate way to remedy its delay in that process.

Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames (25 011 960)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Looked after children 27-Nov-2025

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision to place Miss X’s child on a child in need plan. This is because an investigation would be unlikely to provide Miss X with a different outcome.

Hertfordshire County Council (25 009 332)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Looked after children 26-Nov-2025

Summary: We cannot investigate part of Mrs X’s complaints about the accuracy of social work reports because the matters complained about were considered by a court. We will not investigate the remainder because the issues are likely to have been considered by a court or are late.

London Borough of Barnet (24 017 942)

Statement Upheld Looked after children 18-Nov-2025

Summary: Ms X complained the Council delayed providing accommodation when she presented herself as homeless. She also complained the Council delayed a Child in Care review and failed to progress her stage 2 complaint in a timely manner and under the statutory complaints’ procedure. We found fault in the Council’s failure to use the statutory complaints procedure. The Council’s failure to accommodate Ms X when she first approached the Council as homeless is fault. This caused Ms X to sleep rough for four nights. The Council agreed to apologise to Ms X, pay a financial remedy and carry out service recommendations.