Child protection case - family wins payout

From the archive, first published Friday 14th Mar 2003.

SOUTHAMPTON City Council's social services department has been ordered to pay £1,000 compensation to a Hampshire family after being found guilty of maladministration in a child protection case by local government watchdogs.

The council has agreed to review its procedures following the complaint by a family to the government Ombudsman about how its concerns were dealt with by social services bosses.

The case centred around allegations made by a father, his daughter and her husband who cannot be named for legal reasons.

They complained that the council had not dealt with their concerns adequately concerning child protection issues surrounding the couple's four children. The Ombudsman's report found that once the concerns had been reported to the council, there were delays in investigating them.

The procedures used by officers did not conform to government guidance and they did not involve the family in the investigation.

The report also criticises the council's delay in holding a child protection conference - as well as the social services department's complaints procedure.

The report reveals how the family asked the council in September 2001 for access to their files but although social services were legally obliged to give the family information within 40 days, they did not provide access until May 2002 - eight months after the request was made.

Head of Southampton City Council's Social Services Department John Beer said since the case happened three years ago, the social worker concerned had been dismissed.

He said: "Obviously the Ombudsman believed we were correct to hold a child protection conference and we now monitor closely the time it takes to arrange conferences."

He admitted there had been problems with the way the council had handled complaints procedures at the time but a new complaints officer had been appointed by the council and the procedure itself had been reviewed.

He added: "We made the very strongest efforts to make sure we followed the law and also gave people access to the file.

"This took longer than the rules allowed but there was no lack of effort to try and facilitate proper access to the file."

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