Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council (23 016 412)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 27-Feb-2024

Summary: We cannot investigate Miss X’s complaint about the contents of a report which has been considered in court proceedings because it lies outside our jurisdiction. The law prevents us from investigating complaints about matters that have been considered in court. We have no discretion to do so.

Hampshire County Council (23 015 411)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 27-Feb-2024

Summary: We will not investigate Mr and Mrs X’s complaint about the Council refusing to investigate their children services complaint. We are unlikely to find fault.

Devon County Council (23 018 088)

Statement Upheld Other 26-Feb-2024

Summary: We uphold this complaint because the Council declined to complete 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 the complainant has been caused.

Rochdale Metropolitan Borough Council (23 016 192)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 26-Feb-2024

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s actions when Miss X looked after her grandchild. Investigation by us would be unlikely to add to the Council’s investigation, and part of the complaint is not separable from issues of contact with the child, which is a matter for a court that we are legally prevented from investigating.

London Borough of Lambeth (23 007 725)

Statement Upheld Other 23-Feb-2024

Summary: We uphold complaints made on behalf of ‘Ms D’ and ‘Ms E’ that the Council inappropriately rejected their complaints made about children services because it said they made those complaints too late. Fault in those decisions caused Ms D and Ms E injustice as it denied them access to the complaint procedure and caused them unnecessary frustration, time and trouble. During our investigations the Council took action that we consider remedied this injustice. So, we have completed our investigations.

Kent County Council (23 001 026)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 22-Feb-2024

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about a social worker disclosing records to Miss X’s family. There is another agency better placed than us to consider if there has been a data breach. We will not investigate the actions of the Council leading to the removal of Miss X’s children as the matters complained of are historic. There is no good reason to exercise discretion to consider them now. It is also likely that these matters would not be separable from matters before a court, as a court order would have been required to remove Miss X’s children. As such we would be legally barred from investigating them.

Northumberland County Council (23 010 681)

Statement Upheld Other 21-Feb-2024

Summary: Mrs X complained the Council refused to accept her complaint about a lack of help and support in relation to her husband Mr Y and her son, F who was a Child in Need. The Council was at fault for failing to investigate her complaint under the statutory children’s complaints procedure. The Council agreed to apologise to Mrs X and start a stage two investigation to remedy the injustice caused.

London Borough of Newham (23 011 977)

Statement Not upheld Other 19-Feb-2024

Summary: In another complaint the Council significantly delayed complying with our recommendation to hold a stage three review panel. We were concerned about the Council’s processes as it told us there had been no requests for stage three of the children’s statutory complaint in the last twelve months. We did not find fault with the Council, as in the last twelve months the Council considered many complaints under the children’s statutory complaint procedure and when sending adjudication letters at stage two the Council told the complainants they could ask for a review panel.

Suffolk County Council (23 015 460)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 15-Feb-2024

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about a children services’ assessment form. It is reasonable to expect Mrs X to get in touch with the officer contact the Council gave her and we are unlikely to achieve more.

London Borough of Newham (23 017 623)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 09-Feb-2024

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision to temporarily cease financial support Mrs X was receiving on behalf of her children. This is because the complaint concerns events that took place more than 12 months ago and it would have been reasonable for Mrs X to have brought this matter to us at the time.