Stoke-on-Trent City Council (25 016 627)
Category : Children's care services > Other
Decision : Closed after initial enquiries
Decision date : 28 Jun 2026
The Ombudsman's final decision:
Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of Mr X’s concerns about his child’s foster care. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault in the Council’s handling to warrant investigation.
The complaint
- Mr X complains about the Council’s handling of his concerns about a foster carer involved with his child. Mr X says this has affected his mental health and caused frustration.
The Ombudsman’s role and powers
- We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’, which we call ‘fault’. We must also consider whether any fault has had an adverse impact on the person making the complaint, which we call ‘injustice’. We provide a free service, but must use public money carefully. We do not start or continue an investigation if we decide there is not enough evidence of fault to justify investigating. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended, section 34(B))
- We consider whether there was fault in the way an organisation made its decision. If there was no fault in how the organisation made its decision, we cannot question the outcome. (Local Government Act 1974, section 34(3), as amended)
How I considered this complaint
- I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
- I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.
My assessment
- Mr X complained to the Council that his son, Y, was neglected and assaulted while in a former foster care placement.
- The Council acted on Mr X’s safeguarding concerns, working with the foster carers, Mr X and Y. While Mr X is dissatisfied with the Council’s actions, records show it carried out enquiries and acted accordingly and proportionately to the information available. The Council was not at fault for taking Y’s wishes into consideration.
- There is nothing to suggest procedural fault that would enable us to question the professional judgement of the social workers or their managers. In the absence of this we cannot question the conclusions the Council reached in response to Mr X’s concerns.
Final decision
- We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint because there is not enough evidence of fault to warrant our investigation.
Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman