Looked after children

Cheshire West & Chester Council (18 005 756)

Statement Upheld Looked after children 26-Apr-2019

Summary: Miss X complained about how the Council worked with her when, and after, she was subject to an Interim Care Order. The Council was at fault as it did not properly involve Miss X in care planning. It then delayed accepting she was a care leaver and it failed to escalate her complaint properly through the statutory children's complaint procedures. However, these faults did not cause Miss X a significant injustice. The Council has apologised, arranged support and addressed faults with its officers.

Herefordshire Council (18 000 490)

Statement Upheld Looked after children 25-Apr-2019

Summary: Miss X complains the Council has failed to properly investigate her complaint through the statutory children's complaints procedure. There was fault in the stage 3 panel's decision not to allow Miss X's nominated representative to speak on her behalf. This is because the chair of the panel had previous dealings with her representative when working for the Council and the panel should be independent of the Council. The Council should arrange for a new stage 3 panel to consider the complaint.

Gloucestershire County Council (18 012 432)

Statement Not upheld Looked after children 01-Apr-2019

Summary: The Ombudsman can only investigate one of Mr X's complaints, which is about the Council supervising his contact with his grandchildren. We have not found fault with the Council, which is entitled to decide that contact should be supervised. Of the rest of Mr X's complaints, some are too old, he has no authority to complain about another, and another has been to court, so we have completed our investigation.

Cumbria County Council (18 008 429)

Statement Upheld Looked after children 29-Mar-2019

Summary: Mr X complained the Council failed to properly investigate a complaint his son made under the children's statutory complaints procedure. The Council failed to meet the timescales under the statutory procedure. It has already offered Mr X's son £250 which is sufficient to remedy any injustice caused by the delays. There was no fault in the way the Council carried out the Stage 2 investigation and Stage 3 review of the complaint.

London Borough of Southwark (17 012 557)

Statement Upheld Looked after children 27-Mar-2019

Summary: The Council did not give Miss B enough support when she left care and subsequently. If the faults had not happened, Miss B would probably not have been evicted from her flat. The Council has agreed to put matters right by paying Miss B £6,000, giving her some other assistance and improving its practices as necessary. During our investigation, the Council also offered Miss B a new home.

Swindon Borough Council (18 013 199)

Statement Upheld Looked after children 20-Mar-2019

Summary: The complainant made a complaint to the Council about the actions of Children Services concerning her step son. The Council failed to respond. The Ombudsman considers that there is fault by the Council in the way it has managed the complaints process. The Ombudsman recommends that the Council now deals with the complaints at Stage 2 of the Children Act 1989 complaints procedure and this should also include consideration of the complainant's more recent concerns. The Council has agreed to do so and therefore the Ombudsman is satisfied that the complaint has been resolved.

Surrey County Council (18 010 277)

Statement Not upheld Looked after children 08-Feb-2019

Summary: Ms X complains about the way the Council has dealt with her and her son who is in the Council's care. She also complains about the way the Council dealt with her complaint about these matters. The Council has agreed to resume dealing with the complaint under the independent statutory children's social care complaints procedure. This is a satisfactory way forward and so the Ombudsman will not investigate the complaint further.

Bury Metropolitan Borough Council (18 010 282)

Statement Not upheld Looked after children 28-Jan-2019

Summary: Ms X says the Council did not provide her and her son with sufficient support when he was a looked after child. The Ombudsman cannot investigate her complaint because it must be put through the Council's complaints procedure first including the statutory children's complaints procedure.

London Borough of Croydon (18 008 374)

Statement Not upheld Looked after children 14-Dec-2018

Summary: Miss X complains the Council failed to respond properly to reports that she was being harmed and to act to protect her when she was known to social services as a child, which left her to suffer unnecessary harm. The Council will investigate the complaint, so the Ombudsman's investigation is discontinued.

Birmingham City Council (18 006 702)

Statement Upheld Looked after children 29-Nov-2018

Summary: There was fault by the Council because it did not investigate the complainant's allegations of abuse by a foster carer when he was a looked after child. There was also unreasonable delay before it responded to the complaint. The Council apologised for the delay and agreed to investigate the allegations.