This request has been checked and verified by Adoption UK.
11 June 2021
Adoption UK (Please quote our reference when contacting us and, if using email, please put the number in the email subject line) If telephoning please contact: 0330 403 4033 email address: [email protected]
Dear Adoption UK
I am contacting you in my capacity as an Assistant Ombudsman with the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman with responsibility for Children’s Services and Education complaints.
As you may be aware, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) investigates complaints about councils and some other authorities and organisations, including independent adult social care providers, in England. It is a free service. Our role is to investigate complaints in a fair and independent way – we do not take sides. As part of our role, we can also consider complaints about children’s social services.
One of our Business Plan objectives for the forthcoming year, is to aim to improve the accessibility to our service for care experienced/looked after children and young people.
Historically we have received very few complaints directly from children and young people and our initial work on the objective is to try and explore why this is the case. We hope to identify and aim to remove any barriers which discourage this group from coming to us with complaints.
We would like to invite your views on this and if you have access to any groups of children and young people which you could approach to ask for feedback, this would be particularly welcomed and valued.
We would like responses to the following questions:
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What are the reasons you have not made a complaint (either to a council or to the Ombudsman) even if you felt you had reasons for doing so?
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What makes it difficult for you as a care experienced individual to complain?
3. How could it be made easier to complain?
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What sort of support would help you to complain?
We will be grateful for any feedback you are able to provide and ask that this is sent by 5 July 2021.
Yours sincerely
Sharon Chappell Assistant Ombudsman
