The Local Government And Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) has just released the latest complaints filed with the monitoring body, which oversees councils, adult social care providers and other organisations which provide local public services. Of the 31 new child protection and education cases published, 19 involve child protection matters.
Several cases raise concerns about councils’ handling of safeguarding procedures and failure to protect children from harm, unjust adoption placements, and unprofessional conduct by social workers. Interestingly, once complaint asks the LGSCO to look at harm caused by foster carers in the 70s. The LGSCO will not investigate claims which are more than 12 months old, though it does have discretion to disapply the late complaint rule if they consider the case meets the threshold. Their Guidance Note tells us the how the LGSCO assesses these kinds of complaints:
“The reasons for exercising discretion to investigate (or not) must be noted on the file and detailed in the decision. The following guidelines should be taken into account.
In R v Local Commissioner for Administration, ex parte Bradford Metropolitan City Council (1979) QB287 in the Court of Appeal, Lord Denning said:
“time bars are not to be enforced rigidly against a complainant where justice
requires that the time be extended and his complaint heard”.
It may not have been reasonable for the complainant to have come to us within 12 months if s/he:
• was ill or through some other incapacity was unable to act in time;
• was taking the complaint through the body’s complaints procedure;
• believed that action was being taken on the complaint by the council or its
contractors;
• believed a solicitor or other adviser was taking up the complaint on his/her behalf;
• has not at any time allowed the matter to rest for more than a few months.”
The complaint was not allowed, but is an important development in that it may signal a growing appetite to hold the government accountable for maltreatment during childhood whilst in state care.
Researching Reform 
Reblogged this on World4Justice : NOW! Lobby Forum..
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If children in care were ALLOWED to tell their parents or friends about any abuse they had suffered in care that would be a good start !
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Thats just the problem. nobody outside the LA circle of control can get to speak to the child. they create an invisible prison around these children and leave them to suffer unheard. the psychological impact on the child must be significant.
The Govt needs to have enforcers who can go out and speak to these children On Video away from their placement and get their true wishes and feelings.
Will they do it ? No i guess not.
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my son all the time asked them to be allowed to come home , to see me more, they never denied that, but never allowed, so he realised that nothing depend upon him
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The LGO are not fit for purpose.
they drop cases far too quickly and suspiciously.and we hear from various sources that most lgo agents were former council staff. i know of a case where a Social worker falsified police information to damage a parent and stop her child being returned home. the LA in question even sent false documents to the LGO to get the case dropped and it worked. the LGO wouldnt hear of it that they had done this and instead accepted their word. the LGO didnt even care that the Police had verified in writing that the information was False.
say no more.
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one massive cover up. Abolish FDAC to free more children for adoption foster care accompanied by hysterics cherishing fostering. Who ever can stop it??
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Reblogged this on tummum's Blog.
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I was made aware that many social workers and illegal social workers once established supported many of their friends who arrived from where ever to become foster carers well up to and over £450 a week tax free, the fiddles that go on in a child’s best interest is all for money and with the fiddles in the UK is it any wonder that the courts are closed and the families and media are gagged. Remember in life it is not what you know but who you know so the kids will continue to be stolen sold trafficked sexually abused and so much more.
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