WHAT THE INVESTIGATOR SAID...

THE LGO investigator said: “The council’s priority in this situation was to ensure Mr B’s greatgranddaughter was safeguarded and the right decisions were made about her care.

“I find no fault in the way the council has conducted matters in this respect.

“It acted quickly on the referral from the hospital and took immediate steps to put in place foster care when she was discharged from hospital while it considered what happened next.”

When investigating the other elements of Mr B’s complaint, the investigator concluded the council was wrong when it mistakenly told Mr B he had a criminal record but added the council had already acknowledged this error and appropriately responded.

The investigator said: “There is no independent evidence to confirm what was said when Miss C and her mother were introduced to the foster carer by the social worker.

“I consider its handling of this aspect of Mr B’s complaint was appropriate.”

The LGO investigator added: “There is no doubt that emotions were running high for the family during this time. From the responses I have seen, I consider the council tried its best to take account of this when interacting with them.

“The responses Mr B received from the council to his complaints were sensitively worded and showed great empathy for Mr B and his family.

“The council took account of the family’s previous experiences when Mr B’s two other grandchildren were adopted and acknowledged the effect this had on what was happening with his great-granddaughter.”

Concluding, the report says: “The council has already remedied the fault and no further remedy is required.”