Child Protection

Each local authority has a duty to investigate where a child is thought to be at risk of significant harm. You should normally complain first to the local authority under the Children’s Services 2 stage complaints procedure. However, you may contact us directly if it appears that the local authority is delaying in dealing with your complaint.

We can look at the local authority’s response to concerns that a child is at risk. Some of the issues we can look at are:

• Something wrong in the way in which the Council has investigated concerns about child protection which may have affected you personally. This could be:
• Failure or delay in taking action in response to reports that a child is at risk;
• Inadequate investigation and failure to follow the appropriate procedures and guidance; Failure to communicate with those involved and to co-operate with other agencies;
• Inadequate or inaccurate reports (other than reports prepared for court).
• Shortcomings in managing planning for a child’s future following a child protection case These could include:

Failure to take forward the recommendations of a child protection conference; No adequate plan for the child, or the failure to put such a plan into action.

In some cases we may be able to question decisions made by social workers.

We cannot:

• Look at the local authority’s decision to start court proceedings;
• Look at matters which the courts have dealt with. If you are unhappy with the outcome of a court case, we cannot change that decision and you should consider taking legal advice. In some cases we might be able to look at the local authority’s actions before the local authority started court proceedings and at services  provided after the court case has finished.

In child protection matters, the interests of the child are the main issue and this may not match up with the interests of the adult making the complaint.

If your complaint is about the decision of a Child Protection Conference, we cannot look at the complaint because a number of different agencies may be involved in the child protection process. We can only look at complaints against the local authority and, in certain circumstances, health professionals involved.

Details of the Wales Safeguarding Procedures can be found at  http://www.childreninwales.org.uk/safeguarding/

You may also be able to get advice and help from the Family Rights Group, which covers England and Wales, and which advises parents and other family members whose children may require social care services. You can contact them on 0808 801 0366 and their website can be found at https://www.frg.org.uk/

Children’s Commissioner for Wales: The Children’s Commissioner provides help and support to all children and young people up to  18 in Wales, or up to 21 if they have been in care or up to  25 if they have been in care and are still in education.

01792 765600 or 0808 801 100 (freephone)

post@childcomwales.org.uk www.childcomwales.org.uk

If you are not sure whether we would be able to look into your complaint, please contact us on 0300 790 0203 or ask@ombudsman.wales

Also available in Welsh.