Peterborough City Council (23 018 686)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Friends and family carers 26-Mar-2024

Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint. This is because there is no sign of fault in the Council’s decision not to consider her complaint whilst there are ongoing court proceedings.

Lancashire County Council (23 010 864)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Friends and family carers 14-Mar-2024

Summary: Mr X complains the Council has refused to provide him with financial support it agreed to in 2016. We will not exercise discretion to investigate Mr X's complaint outside the normal timeframes. Due to the passage of time, it is unlikely we would now be able to carry out an effective investigation.

Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council (23 010 770)

Statement Not upheld Friends and family carers 06-Mar-2024

Summary: We found no fault on Mrs P’s complaint about the Council giving her incorrect information before she agreed to foster her two grandchildren who came to live with her in rented accommodation. There is no evidence to support what she claimed was said at this time. Nor do the records made in the following years support what she claimed either.

City of York Council (23 001 150)

Statement Upheld Friends and family carers 27-Feb-2024

Summary: Miss Y complains the Council wrongly withdrew a proposed package of extended financial support for a Special Guardianship Order (SGO). The complaint was investigated through the statutory complaints procedure but did not conclude with the outcomes Miss Y hoped for. In our view, the investigation was thorough and evidence based but there is some outstanding personal injustice which the Council has agreed to remedy.

Devon County Council (23 000 973)

Report Upheld Friends and family carers 25-Jan-2024

Summary: Miss B complained that the Council had wrongly deducted child benefit from her Special Guardianship Allowance (SGA) since January 2022, failed to provide a copy of her grandchild’s (C) support plan and failed to share information with MissB. She also complained the Council had delayed significantly investigating her complaint through the statutory complaints process, taking just over a year to complete stage two of the process. These issues caused Miss B significant distress, frustration and financial hardship.

Durham County Council (23 005 961)

Statement Not upheld Friends and family carers 25-Jan-2024

Summary: Mrs B complained the Council failed to properly advise or support her when she took on the care of her two grandchildren after the sudden death of their mother. We have not found fault with the actions of the Council.

Devon County Council (23 012 641)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Friends and family carers 24-Jan-2024

Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about late special guardianship payments. Investigation by us would not lead to a different or more worthwhile outcome than that following the Council’s investigation.

Salford City Council (23 013 933)

Statement Upheld Friends and family carers 11-Jan-2024

Summary: The Council failed to complete the actions agreed following an earlier Ombudsman investigation within the agreed timescales.

Cheshire East Council (23 012 720)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Friends and family carers 02-Jan-2024

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council ending a special guardianship payment after Mr X’s child turned18. There is not enough evidence of fault by the Council to warrant investigation.

Suffolk County Council (23 012 518)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Friends and family carers 20-Dec-2023

Summary: We cannot investigate this complaint about what the Council wrote about Mr X in an assessment. This matter is not separable from the court action that decided who was best placed to care for his grandchild.