London Borough of Lambeth (20 013 653)

Statement Upheld Friends and family carers 24-Aug-2021

Summary: Mr and Mrs X complain that the Council has failed to offer them suitable housing. Based on the evidence seen to date, the Council was at fault, but had remedied the situation before the Ombudsman’s intervention.

London Borough of Barking & Dagenham (20 005 559)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Friends and family carers 17-Aug-2021

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about the Council failing to give financial and respite support in July 2019 when she cared for a relative’s children. Mrs X complains late and could have complained sooner.

Cambridgeshire County Council (20 000 821)

Statement Upheld Friends and family carers 13-Aug-2021

Summary: Mrs C says the Council went back on an agreement to assist with the care of her nephew, X, by paying fostering fees after it promised it would do so. She says this has caused her injustice in that she has incurred great expense and suffered stress. The Council denied it had made this agreement. The Council was at fault: The Council encouraged Mrs C to take care of X and said it would pay her. It has agreed to pay her backdated fostering fees.

Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council (21 003 622)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Friends and family carers 09-Aug-2021

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint that the Council has not paid the complainant at the same level as a foster carer, with the same skills, who is unrelated to the child they care for. This is because the Council is going to re-assess the complaint.

Bury Metropolitan Borough Council (21 004 078)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Friends and family carers 05-Aug-2021

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision not to provide financial support to Mrs X when she began caring for her granddaughter. This is a late complaint as Mrs X has taken nearly three years to bring it to us.

Darlington Borough Council (21 003 708)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Friends and family carers 05-Aug-2021

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s actions regarding the placement of three children with Ms B and her partner. This is because we would be unable to add anything significant to the investigation the Council has already carried out.

East Sussex County Council (20 010 365)

Statement Upheld Friends and family carers 21-Jul-2021

Summary: Miss X complains about the Council’s decision to refuse to allow her to supervise contact between a child and their father. We find fault with how the Council made its decision that it was inappropriate for family members to supervise contact. We have made recommendations.

Plymouth City Council (21 002 381)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Friends and family carers 19-Jul-2021

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the level of support the Council provided her when she began to care for two children in 2013. This is because this is a late complaint and we cannot investigate it.

Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council (21 001 953)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Friends and family carers 09-Jul-2021

Summary: We cannot investigate this complaint about the Council’s children’s services involvement with the complainants family. The court is currently considering the care of the child concerned and we cannot investigate matters subject to legal proceedings.

London Borough of Croydon (20 012 652)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Friends and family carers 07-Jul-2021

Summary: We will not investigate the complaint about the Council’s failure to provide support promised when the complainant obtained a Special Guardianship Order for her grandchildren. This is because there is no evidence of fault, and we cannot achieve the outcome she wants.