Carer awarded £600

The local government ombudsman has criticised Hounslow Council
social services department for failing to write to a foster carer
about allegations made against her and not informing her that
taking a holiday could jeopardise the placement.

Ombudsman Edward Osmotherly backed the complaint of the client,
who returned from her holiday to find the children had been
removed, and recommended the council pay her £600. He
criticised the council’s long delays in investigating the client’s
complaint and its failure to write to her about the final
outcome.

However, he said the council had acted in the best interests of
the children by removing them and had caused the client no
injustice by the way it responded to reports that her daughter had
been sexually abused by one of the foster children.