Ombudsman Slates Sandwell's Children's Services
The beleaguered Sandwell Children’s Services department recently faced further criticism.
Already branded" inadequate" following an Ofsted inspection, this time it was the independent Local Government Ombudsman who laid into the operation of the department.
Mr. X was the Sandwell council approved foster carer of two children aged 6 and 7. Allegations were made against him by a third party to the police and the police informed the council that they intended to arrest X to investigate.
In what was described as a “knee jerk reaction” without the benefit of any meeting to consider the situation, two Sandwell social workers went to X’s home took the children from their beds and placed them with another carer.
The police after speaking to X were convinced that the allegations against him were false and malicious and so informed the council.
Despite this and the view of a social worker that the children should be returned to X “ASAP” because of difficulties where they were, still the council held no meeting to consider what should be done and failed to keep X informed of what was happening with the children.
It was only some weeks later that the children were reunited with X.
When X complained about these matters, the Ombudsman found there was “poor council co-operation” with the investigation of the complaint.
In finding that Sandwell had failed to follow legal guidelines, failed to consider what was in the children’s best interests and failed to keep X properly informed, the Ombudsman recommended compensation to X and the children, the council apologising to them and staff re-training.
All these recommendation were accepted by Sandwell council.
This is another extremely regrettable instance of Sandwell’s Children’s Services department failing properly to consider what was in the best interests of very vulnerable children, in local authority care because they had already suffered or were at risk of suffering serious harm.