Newcastle Council caused father 'distress and offence'

Newcastle City Council was ordered to pay compensation

Council failings caused a father "unnecessary uncertainty, distress and offence", an investigation has found.

The man, known as Mr X, said social workers told him to leave his home after claims he harmed his children.

The allegations were withdrawn but the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman said he had been left "not knowing for how long he would be away from his family".

Newcastle City Council has apologised and paid £1,150 compensation.

"We are now implementing all of the recommendations contained in the ombudsman's report," a spokesperson said.

The allegations in April 2017 that Mr X was harming his children were withdrawn the following week.

Social workers had told him to leave the family home "until further direction" but did not explain this was voluntary, he said.

'Understandably insulted'

During a complaint hearing in February 2020, a council officer said Mr X, who is of North African origin, may have "misunderstood" the council's advice because English was not his first language, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The ombudsman said Mr X felt "understandably insulted" by this comment, made by a white council officer in front of an all-white complaints panel, given he has been in England for almost 40 years, speaks English, and is fluent in two other languages.

Ombudsman Michael King said Mr X had said "his relationship with his family has been irreparably damaged".

"So I welcome the council already recognising it had work to do to improve its services before the complaint came to me, and had already gone some way to remedying the situation for the man," he said.

As the authority's internal investigation took seven months longer than it should have done, it was told to ensure it meets statutory complaints timescales.

It was also told to provide training on unconscious bias.