London Borough of Haringey (24 016 201)

Statement Upheld Looked after children 18-Sep-2025

Summary: Ms X complained about how she and her children were treated by the Council’s children’s social care service. We have found that the Council was at fault for a significant delay in its handling of
her complaint. This caused her an injustice, which the Council will now take action to address. However, we will not conduct a further investigation of Ms X’s complaint. An independent investigation has already found no fault in most of what the Council did. It is unlikely that further investigation of the same issue would lead to a different outcome for Ms X.

Birmingham City Council (24 017 734)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Looked after children 17-Sep-2025

Summary: We will not investigate Ms M’s complaint about the care of her daughter because there is nothing we could add to the independent investigation that has already been carried out. There is not enough evidence of fault to justify us investigating Ms M’s complaints. And we cannot achieve the outcome Ms M wants.

Essex County Council (25 000 838)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Looked after children 17-Sep-2025

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s refusal to investigate Miss X’s concerns about how it safeguarded her while she was a Looked after Child. The complaint relates to matters which occurred over 12 months ago, and it is unlikely we would find fault in the Council’s decision, not to consider it.

Hertfordshire County Council (25 002 446)

Statement Not upheld Looked after children 21-Aug-2025

Summary: Miss X, on behalf of Mr Z, complained the Council failed to take account of Mr Z’s complex needs including mental health issues when providing accommodation as a care leaver. Although Mr Z was not provided with accommodation in the location of his choice, this is not due to any fault by the Council.

Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council (25 004 141)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Looked after children 21-Aug-2025

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the adoption of his child. The law stops us from investigating anything that has or is being looked at by the courts. Mr X will need to ask the court if he wants to stop his child’s adoption.

London Borough of Southwark (25 006 291)

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

Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about the Council’s children’s services involvement with her when she was a child and as a care leaver between 1999 and 2013. This is because the complaint is late.

Milton Keynes Council (25 004 870)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Looked after children 12-Aug-2025

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about the Council’s handling of contact between her, her family and her grandchild. The law prevents us from investigating anything that is or has been the subject of court proceedings.

Gloucestershire County Council (24 002 936)

Statement Upheld Looked after children 11-Aug-2025

Summary: Mrs X complained about how the Council supported her son while he was in local authority care. Based on current evidence, we have found that the Council was not at fault. It respected her wishes and made decisions about Y’s care which do not appear unreasonable. The Council was, however, at fault for keeping incomplete safeguarding records. It was also at fault for how it considered Mrs X’s complaint. Neither of these things caused her an injustice, but the Council should nonetheless take steps to improve its complaint handling in future.

Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council (24 018 472)

Statement Not upheld Looked after children 04-Aug-2025

Summary: We have ended our investigation into Mr X’s complaint about the involvement of the Council’s Children’s Services with his family and decisions made. An independent investigation has already investigated the Council’s actions. The Council has offered Mr X a suitable remedy for the upheld parts of his complaint. It is unlikely that further investigation of the same issues would lead to a different outcome for Mr X.

Leeds City Council (24 000 225)

Statement Upheld Looked after children 31-Jul-2025

Summary: Mrs X complained that the Council failed to provide appropriate education to her two adopted children. The Council has already investigated the complaints and upheld them. We endorse the Council’s findings of fault which has caused avoidable distress and a loss of education for the children. The Council has accepted our recommendation for an improved personal remedy for the loss of education and avoidable distress. The Council has also agreed to review its alternative education policy. We are therefore closing the complaints.