Coventry Council told to compensate mum over protection plan

Coventry city councillors will discuss the complaints at a meeting on Wednesday

A council was told to pay compensation and apologise for distress caused to a mother after her children were wrongly placed on a child protection plan on grounds of neglect.

The unnamed mum asked the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) to investigate Coventry City Council's decision-making.

The watchdog upheld her complaint finding the council "at fault".

Her case is one of 14 investigated by the LGSCO in 2022.

The mother refused a remedy payment of £500 and further updates are expected in relation to her case, a council report says.

Written apology

Ten of the 14 complaints were upheld by the watchdog, according to the report to be discussed at a council meeting on Wednesday.

Another concluded a man received poor care at a supported living facility commissioned by the local authority.

He received £500 to make up for the distress caused to him by the care, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

His relative, who made the complaint, was given £200 compensation, with both receiving a written apology.

In another case, a young woman received £300 from the council after they failed to manage her transition to adulthood properly by providing an Education Health and Care plan naming a next placement before a deadline. 

A mum's complaint to the local authority watchdog was upheld

Details of all the cases and the council's actions will be discussed at a meeting of the cabinet member for policy and leadership.

Reports for the meeting show complaints to the LGSCO about Coventry council jumped to 93 in 2021/22, up from 54 the year before.

The council said the spike could be explained by more people knowing how to contact the watchdog and claims its performance cannot be judged purely on the figures.