The latest decisions published by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) reveal a surge in parents complaining about the way they and their children have been treated during child protection investigations. The rise in complaints against councils and social workers involved in child protection investigations comes after the ombudsman confirmed that it could not look into matters which have been raised inside the family courts.
The confirmation initially seemed to stem the large influx of complaints related to child protection social workers, however this no longer appears to be the case. Desperate families have started taking their complaints to the LGSCO once more, hoping the watchdog will provide them with the support they have been unable to get elsewhere. Several complaints were set aside as the LGSCO is prevented in law from looking into matters raised and decided in the UK’s family courts, however some complaints relating to child protection cases which didn’t fall into the above category were investigated by the ombudsman.
Of the 59 complaints published this week by the LGSCO, 15 of those involved child protection cases. The majority of complaints focused on alleged failings over education provision, and support for SEN children.
Child Protection Complaints
A mother and father who lodged a complaint against Hampshire County Council were awarded £500 after the local authority cancelled two child protection conference meetings. The parents had taken unpaid leave to attend the meetings, and when a core group meeting was held the parents were not told about it. The social workers also failed to record the meeting. The ombudsman took the view that the failures to notify the parents of the meeting and record the meeting did not cause the parents any injustice, and chose to compensate them only for the cancelled meetings.
Medway council also had its knuckles rapped after it confused a woman’s husband for another man during a child protection investigation. The ombudsman awarded the woman and her husband £1,000 for the distress the error caused.
The remaining 13 complaints involving family court proceedings were set aside by the watchdog.
There were a significant number of complaints about factual errors within social work reports and councils’ record keeping. One such complaint was made against Birmingham City Council. A father, who is referred to in the ombudsman decision as Mr A, alleged that the social worker carrying out a child protection assessment was biased and the report she produced was inaccurate, which in turn affected the outcome of the investigation. The father also said that the council refused his request for a different social worker without giving any explanation for the refusal. (If you would like to change your social worker, our post on ways to approach this is added here).
The ombudsman issued the following reminders over what it cannot investigate:
- Matters that have been before a court via the statutory children’s complaints procedure.
- Matters currently subjected to legal proceedings.
- An event that occurred over 12 months ago (exceptions apply).
- Where it is unlikely that the ombudsman would reach a sound, fair, and meaningful decision, or achieve the outcomes desired by the complainant.
- Events which happen inside the family courts.
- Complaints about social workers who produce reports for the family court and the production and contents of court reports.
For further information on what the LGSCO can and can’t investigate, click here.
Families lodging complaints about botched child protection proceedings have our sympathy.
Dr. Manhattan. said:
So they cant look into –
“Complaints about social workers who produce reports for the family court and the production and contents of court reports.”
That says it all really.Social workers will continue to get away with falsifying reports.
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FamilysNeedFathers (Hastings) said:
Dr Manhatan.
They are currently totally useless in my opinion and just a brick wall and as deaf. I provided clear breach evidence to HCPC . There organization description block diagram shows they have multiple departments . Instead you are faced with an idiot! not an investigator, who explains to you one thing and then when you provide evidence of the breach to the contrary do nothing . They are supposed to apply tests to fitness of practice which they seem to be clueless and only be a protectorate of Social Workers Register . The Health and Care Professions Council, 184 Kennington Park Road, London, SE11 is the worst organization I have ever dealt with second to the Irish contingent which is just as useless.Children social workers clearly falsify documents in court experts name . This is a disgrace. Children Social workers routinely interfere in old cases . I have to say I am not surprised this is starting to come out. All the time LAC payments are made to Social Workers to look after children then there will be a conflict of interest!
Action For Children is just as bad Jenny the Manager told me in a conversation at the time that the social Worker was coming into their office to write the report for court after children had seen their parents. They are supposed to be independent expert and clearly are not. This is especial disgraceful in this same case when the social worker was in contempt of court in regard to meeting with experts and placing a Meeting Note in her submission to the court . She said she had never met any of the experts and is just a liar. What can I say They can get away with anything.
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Dr. Manhattan. said:
i think you might be confusing the LGO with the HCPC. they are two different bodies, although both look into complaints both are not fit for purpose.
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FamilysNeedFathers (Hastings) said:
Dr Manhatten,
No Am absolutely not confused. The Local Government Ombudsman and the The Health and Care Professions Council, 184 Kennington Park Road, London, SE11 is an ombudsman as well . The Register is protected by HCPC which regulates whether a Social Worker can work as a Social Worker in England or Ireland. It is supposed to govern its register using a fitness to practice strategy this does not seem to be currently employed and you are left with a idiot who could not understand the fitness to practice mandate. I am happy to name and shame!
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Dr. Manhattan. said:
Well you might say its an Ombudsman but if that was the case why dont they go by HMRCO. they dont. thats because the LGO is a different dept.
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Dr. Manhattan. said:
HCPCO.
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FamilysNeedFathers (Hastings) said:
Well the goverment ran this https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/registration-of-providers-of-social-work-services which as a waste of time to as you will see the outcome was equally unhelpful.
I have only dealt with ftp@hcpc-uk.org and NIPSO under nipso@nipso.org.uk and Family Justice Board, Attention of Lord Justice Sir James Munby and Rt Hon Caroline Dinenage Minister of Health Minister of State for Health and Rt Hon Matt Hancock , Secretary of State for Health.I have never had a reasonable reply which was useful.
NIPSO never investigated in my opinion just noting facts. HCPC just closed the case after realizing that i had proved that the case was mishandled. NO outcome was what I had expected.
One of the Social worker involved has now left Hastings and is currently I believe has moved on and I wonder if she is now “Steeling children” in Maidstone as she was never reprimanded. Ged Rowney and Stuart Gallimore was in charge of Children’s Services. if you think Charles Dickens is relevant well yes the Legal system is dogmatic and out dated. The other social worker who was recorded on telephone as referring to talking to first social worker in Maidstone from Northern Ireland was not reprimanded and still in her position. Funny enough I understand this is cause for Fitness of Practice removal of register alone. This transcription was provided to both agencies and not disputed as a recording of the telephone call.
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Dr. Manhattan. said:
its a hard to believe that we had such fantastic people as Charles Dickens who exposed the dark side of the system and campaigned for children’s rights, education, and other social reforms back in the 1800s. yet here we are almost 150 yrs after his death still dealing with the same problems within the system.
change is painfully slow.
we need something that can rip through this injustice like a F5 Tornado.
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Natasha said:
Brexit ought to do it.
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Dr. Manhattan. said:
Wishful thinking Hey!
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FamilysNeedFathers (Hastings) said:
I have to say that there was a goverment consultation around march last year ie. Government’s consultation on Social Work England: secondary legislative framework (Regulations) which had sections in regard to the many complaints the government was receiving in regard to the problem of regulation. The fact was that many member of the public did not know about this and did not comment. Therefore the main commenters was from Social Workers or agencies that employ them who said they could maintain themselves. This was here https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/registration-of-providers-of-social-work-services I have to say all this correspondence including our submission to the consultation was sent to the MOJ who just seem to laugh it off. Wait till it crosses there path they will not deem it so funny.
I think its wishful thinking that any of this will be affected by Brexit even if it ever happens.
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