London Borough of Hackney (24 014 932)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 17-Jan-2025

Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s late complaint about the Council’s refusal to consider her complaints relating to concerns about her children. This is because some of the action complained of is about the conduct of court proceedings, which could reasonably have been raised in court. We also will not consider the Council’s complaint handling where we are not investigating the substantive matter.

Middlesbrough Borough Council (24 013 230)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 15-Jan-2025

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint that the Council has failed to implement all of the recommendations made in response to a complaint under the statutory procedure for complaints about children’s services. This is because the failure to do so has not caused the complainant so significant an injustice as to warrant investigation, and our intervention would not lead to a different outcome.

West Northamptonshire Council (24 013 994)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 15-Jan-2025

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s alleged refusal to send Ms X copies of all the information it holds about her family for her to check and correct. The complaint is about a subject access request and the right to rectification. These are matters the Information Commissioner’s Office is better placed to consider than us. This is because it has powers to order disclosure, to require rectification, and to impose penalties that we lack.

Lincolnshire County Council (24 016 517)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 15-Jan-2025

Summary: We cannot investigate this complaint about court proceedings in 2012 regarding the complainant’s child. This is because the matters have been considered in court and it is a late complaint.

Norfolk County Council (24 016 305)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 14-Jan-2025

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s assessment of Miss X’s children’s case. The law prevents us investigating matters that have been considered in court.

Wiltshire Council (24 007 077)

Statement Upheld Other 09-Jan-2025

Summary: Mr and Mrs X complained the Council delayed assessing their child, Y, completed an inadequate assessment and then wrongly accused them of abandonment. They say the Council has failed to take appropriate action to put things right. The Council accepts it was at fault. It should apologise to Y and place a copy of the apology on its records. It should also make a payment to Mr and Mrs X to recognise the distress caused.

Dorset Council (24 014 319)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 09-Jan-2025

Summary: We cannot investigate Miss X’s complaint about the Council’s actions in its childrens services involvement with her family several years ago because it lies outside our jurisdiction. The law prevents us from investigating complaints about matters that have been considered in court proceedings. We have no discretion to do so.

Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council (24 015 170)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 09-Jan-2025

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint that the Council provided incorrect information to the Disclosure Barring Service. This is because there is an appeals process for Disclosure Barring Service decisions.

North Somerset Council (24 010 779)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 08-Jan-2025

Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about children services’ actions. It is reasonable to expect her to request a Children Act statutory complaints’ procedure stage two escalation when she is unhappy with the Council’s complaint responses.

Essex County Council (24 013 865)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 08-Jan-2025

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s representations to court. The law prevents us from doing so. Mrs X should raise all relevant information as part of court proceedings. It is open to her to also contact the Information Commissioner’s Office, as the body that deals with complaints about data protection.