A WOMAN caused “avoidable frustration and distress” by Bracknell Forest Council has been
awarded hundreds of pounds in compensation - and she could be in line for more.
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This comes after the woman raised safeguarding concerns about her daughter’s father, from whom she is separated, leading to nine complaints being upheld about the way the authority handled her concerns.
These upheld complaints included BFC bosses being found to have advised the father to seek full-time custody of the daughter despite worries raised about her being locked in her room.
Social workers were criticized for not responding to the woman’s safeguarding concerns, for failing to check whether there was a lock on the daughter’s bedroom door, for warning the woman not to make any more referrals and more.
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After a panel outlined the nine upheld complaints, it was suggested the council should consider compensation for the mother, but BFC refused to offer this and did not provide a reason why.
The woman complained to the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO), a local authority watchdog.
Inspectors ruled that because the council objected to a few of the findings at the second stage of the complaints process, this showed BFC was aware it could disagree with the recommendation to pay compensation, but it chose not to.
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The watchdog claimed this means the council has “not properly considered the issue” which caused the mother an “injustice” and “avoidable frustration and distress”.
A financial settlement would be “appropriate”, the LGO suggested, and BFC is set to reconsider whether it will pay her.
The mother is said to have accepted an apology from BFC at a panel meeting but also wished to see a letter sent to the daughter’s school and their GP which outlined which complaints were upheld.
But bosses at BFC did not do this because they said it would not be appropriate to send the letter as it might confuse court proceedings the parents were involved in and undermine safeguarding.
The LGO said the council did not properly consider this matter, however, as it is unclear how sending a brief statement would undermine safeguarding.
These combined errors led to BFC paying the woman £300 for causing her distress and a further £300 as a gesture of goodwill.
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