Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council (23 016 383)

Statement Upheld Looked after children 05-Aug-2024

Summary: Miss E and Ms F complained how the Council communicated with them as professionals supporting looked after children. They also complained the Council maliciously reported their nursery to Ofsted. We find the Council was at fault as it failed to communicate with Miss E and Ms F properly. It also failed to be open and transparent with them about a referral to Ofsted. The Council has agreed to our recommendations to address the injustice caused by fault.

Warwickshire County Council (24 004 066)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Looked after children 05-Aug-2024

Summary: We will not investigate Miss X complaint about the accuracy of a child protection document. The Information Commissioner’s Office is better placed and it is unlikely we would find fault in a decision to carry out a child protection investigation.

West Northamptonshire Council (24 003 517)

Statement Upheld Looked after children 04-Aug-2024

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s care of a Looked After Child. The Council has agreed to investigate the complaint through the statutory children’s complaints procedure. It would not be proportionate for us to investigate.

South Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council (24 003 808)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Looked after children 28-Jul-2024

Summary: We cannot by law investigate this complaint about matters the complainant says adversely affected her son’s wellbeing while he was in foster care. This is because the issues raised by the complainant have already been considered and decided on by a court during the course of care proceedings.

Lincolnshire County Council (24 003 391)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Looked after children 23-Jul-2024

Summary: We cannot investigate Miss X’s complaints about the Council’s actions during court proceedings because the issues complained about have been considered by a court and the law says we cannot investigate. We did not investigate part of Miss X’s complaint because it is too closely related to the matters considered by a court.

London Borough of Lewisham (23 019 302)

Statement Upheld Looked after children 16-Jul-2024

Summary: The Council was at fault for failing to investigate Ms X’s complaint about the support she received as a Care Leaver at stage two of the statutory complaint procedure for complaints about children’s services. The Council has agreed to apologise, make a payment to Ms X, investigate the complaint, and act to improve its services.

Devon County Council (23 020 238)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Looked after children 15-Jul-2024

Summary: We will not investigate most of Mr X’s complaint because the issues complained about are over 12 months old and the complaint is therefore late. We will not investigate some of Mr X’s complaint because it is reasonable to expect him to take the matter to the Information Commissioner’s Office.

Middlesbrough Borough Council (24 003 424)

Statement Upheld Looked after children 11-Jul-2024

Summary: We uphold this complaint that the Council delayed its response under the statutory process for complaints about children’s services. The Council has agreed to resolve the matter by providing a suitable remedy for the injustice caused to Mr X.

Birmingham City Council (23 017 822)

Statement Upheld Looked after children 09-Jul-2024

Summary: Mr X complains the Council failed to properly consider his concerns about his children and maintain his contact with them. The Council found fault during its complaints process but failed to carry out the recommendations agreed. The Council has therefore agreed to carry out the recommendations from the complaints process.

London Borough of Southwark (24 001 880)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Looked after children 08-Jul-2024

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s children’s social care provision because the complaint is out of time.