Trafford Council (20 007 332)

Statement Not upheld Other 29-Mar-2021

Summary: Ms X complains about the way the Council considered her complaints about its dealings with her while her children were in foster care. We have found no evidence of fault so have completed our investigation.

Wiltshire Council (20 003 932)

Statement Upheld Other 26-Mar-2021

Summary: Mr H complains of bias by a social worker, towards his ex-wife, in a safeguarding assessment about his son. We have found fault with assumptions a Council officer made. And with some of the record keeping. But the actions the Council has taken or suggested, together with an apology, provides a suitable remedy for the faults identified.

Essex County Council (20 002 075)

Statement Upheld Other 22-Mar-2021

Summary: Miss Y complained about the Council's actions after it received safeguarding referrals about her and the support it provided when she was subsequently made a looked after child. She said it failed to consider her complaints through the statutory complaint's procedure. We find the Council was at fault for failing to record its decision making and delays in completing the required assessment when Miss Y was looked after. It also failed to consider Miss Y's complaint under the statutory complaint's procedure. That put Miss Y to avoidable time and trouble pursuing her complaint with the Ombudsman. The Council has agreed to make a symbolic payment to Miss Y to remedy any injustice caused. We have also recommended service improvements.

Halton Borough Council (20 001 737)

Statement Upheld Other 10-Mar-2021

Summary: Mrs D complained about the Council's involvement with her family after an incident of domestic violence. We find the Council was at fault when it wrongly told Mrs D's husband that he could not return home. The Council also failed to explain the purpose of Child in Need meetings, delayed providing her with a document after repeated requests, delayed dealing with her complaint and failed to consider her complaint under the statutory complaints procedure. The Council has agreed to our recommendations to remedy the injustice caused.

Nottinghamshire County Council (20 004 405)

Statement Not upheld Other 10-Mar-2021

Summary: Mr C complained the Council failed to ensure a stage three panel had the relevant information before it reached its conclusions on his complaint. There is no fault in how the stage three panel considered the complaint.

London Borough of Merton (19 019 218)

Statement Not upheld Other 09-Mar-2021

Summary: Mr J complained he had been unable to see his children at a contact centre since 2018 because of Council fault. He felt the Council should promote and support his children's contact with him and that its failure to do so had caused him significant distress and time and trouble going to the contact centre but not seeing them. There is no evidence of Council fault.

Suffolk County Council (20 003 267)

Statement Upheld Other 05-Mar-2021

Summary: Mr X complains the Council failed to properly investigate his complaint about bias and collusion. We found the Council's investigation was inadequate and lacked sufficient evidence for its assurances. This caused Mr X uncertainty about whether the outcome may have been different. To remedy the injustice caused the Council has agreed to apologise and consider the complaint at stage two of its corporate complaints procedure without delay.

Cumbria County Council (20 006 641)

Statement Upheld Other 04-Mar-2021

Summary: We find fault with the Council for failing to allow Mr B to progress his complaint through the Councils complaint process. This caused injustice to Mr B. The Council agrees actions to remedy the injustice.

Kent County Council (20 004 241)

Statement Upheld Other 04-Mar-2021

Summary: The Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal (SENDIST) recommended the Council consider a personal budget to meet Ms X's social care needs. Ms X complained the Council failed to follow that recommendation. We find the Council did consider the recommendation of the Tribunal. There was some fault because the Council failed to document its discussions about the recommendation. However, that fault did not cause injustice to Ms X because the Council fully set out the reasons for its decision in a letter. The Council has agreed to improve its record-keeping.

Swindon Borough Council (20 007 043)

Statement Upheld Other 23-Feb-2021

Summary: The Council was at fault for a delay in carrying out actions it had agreed with Mrs B in response to her complaint. It has agreed to update her on these actions, and to apologise. It has also agreed to make a symbolic payment of £100 to recognise the injustice caused to Mrs B by the delay.