Newcastle upon Tyne City Council (25 005 384)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Child protection 02-Dec-2025

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint the Council included inaccurate information in a Child and Family assessment. Further investigation would not lead to a different outcome.

Isle of Wight Council (25 008 592)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 02-Dec-2025

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council dealt with Miss X’s complaints. One matter is closely related to matters we have already considered. There is no evidence of fault in the way the Council operated the statutory complaints process relating to social care matters. And the Council had indicated when Miss X approached us that it would deal with her complaints about educational provision, so there would be no useful purpose in us doing so before it completes its work.

St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council (25 010 971)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Child protection 02-Dec-2025

Summary: We cannot investigate Mrs X’s complaint about the Council using fabricated reports and lying to the court in proceedings for her son because it lies outside our jurisdiction. The law prevents us from investigating complaints about matters which are being, or have been, considered in court proceedings. We have no discretion to do so.

Kent County Council (25 011 535)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Child protection 02-Dec-2025

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about a report the Council has provided to the court in ongoing family court proceedings. This is because there is no sign of fault in the Council’s decision not to consider his complaint until the ongoing proceedings have concluded.

Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council (25 003 376)

Statement Upheld Other 01-Dec-2025

Summary: The Council failed to properly consider Mr X’s complaint through the children’s statutory complaints procedure in line with the relevant law and guidance. The Council has agreed to apologise to Mr X, pay them a symbolic amount to recognise the frustration this caused them and arrange a stage three panel to consider Mr X’s complaint.

London Borough of Islington (25 007 335)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Child protection 01-Dec-2025

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s children services’ complaint because there are no sufficient reasons to justify our reinvestigating a matter which has had a full Children Act statutory complaints’ procedure investigation. We are unlikely to achieve a significantly improved remedy for complaint delays.

Cheshire East Council (25 008 285)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 01-Dec-2025

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about Miss X’s contact with the Council and its complaints handling. The Council has already investigated under the children’s statutory complaint procedures, and further investigation by us would not lead to a different outcome.

London Borough of Lewisham (25 008 839)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 01-Dec-2025

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about Miss X’s contact with the Council and its complaints handling. The Council has already investigated under the children’s statutory complaint procedures, and further investigation by us would not lead to a different outcome.

Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council (25 016 481)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 01-Dec-2025

Summary: We cannot investigate this complaint about the Council’s Section 7 court report. The law prevents us from investigating what happens as part of court proceedings.

Sheffield City Council (24 017 244)

Statement Upheld Child protection 30-Nov-2025

Summary: Ms X complains about the way the Council dealt with the care of her children. The Council was at fault for the Investigating Officer failing to consider information when they said they would, failing to clarify at stage three of the complaint procedure its view on whether it could investigate human rights matters, delaying in completing the complaint procedure and delaying in completing some of the agreed remedies. This caused Ms X and her children distress, frustration and uncertainty. The Council has agreed to apologise, make a payment to Ms X and the children, and send us an action plan on how it will improve complaint handling times.