Sibling care RO Advice needed 😪

[Unlucky7]

•No contact arranged for siblings or parents
•Left to leave supported housing with 3 children unsupported
•No assessments 12 years ago to date to check the welfare and safety of the Children
•No change of financial support (Apparently the plan explains what is to be given? But this plan brought to my attention only this year after a stage 3 complaint looks as though it had just been made its not signed or dated and I've never in my life seen it)
• Almost all the complaint was upheld but only a handful of things was put into the complain ( again I don't know why)
•Offers of x amounts for failing to assess wasn't close to a month's worth fostering for 1 child.
•Denied emotional support when I asked in 2015 when our parents both died and also when my sibling passed 2019
•the LA admitted fault and lied to cover up by saying they belived it was a family arrangement but they was the ones who placed the children in my care 12years ago.
•When I went to the panel nonone was aware I had proof of the past 11 years of me asking for constant support and guidance also reviews but this wasn't brought to the attention.
• I feel from day 1 we've been failed/blackmailed/humiliated and overall left to survive.

Please can anyone in the same situation or with any understanding of our heartbreaking background help atall please.
Other relevant information can be provided too

Hi again. So I went through the process of the lgo and fault was found and alot upheld no further recommendations made apart from praising the loval authority for the support offered going further that been "Contact with younger siblings" how to manage teenagers and early help team support. I just find it all too bizarre because the lgo made a big deal over maladministration going un noticed by the panel and my paper work not been worth looking at. And all that happend was they said oh yes we accept that maladministration was visible but in the panel room myself against 12 others all from the one big authority circle didn't notice or act on that. I just feel I'm still been took for granted its draining me. Thankyou
Thankyou for your patience with this

[Unlucky7]

This is still on going and I feel as a family we have been let down massively I strongly believe because if my age and vulnerability they took advantage and even after complaining for the past 15 years they still look down on me. I made complaints and desperate action of my siblings father been abusive and controlling ten years ago and they ignored me and decided to put my youngest 2 siblings in his care now ten years on he's damaged them as I said he would and due to the safety and welfare of them both he's now caused them to be put into care which I again raised concerns about many times but they allowed yhe placement to continue until something bad had to happen as a sibling of seven I strongly belive we've been well and truly failed but now I've had a complaint panel and approached the LGO and had their response to my claim back I'm told nothing can be looked at again yet the complaint only addressed the minor points and knew I wasn't financially capable of having a solicitor to defend me.

Thankyou

[Suzie, FRG Adviser]

Dear Unlucky7

Welcome back to the kinship carers’ discussion board. Thank you for your posts.

I am sorry that there has been a delay replying to your August posts.

I am also very sorry to hear about the difficulties you and your siblings have experienced and continue to experience.

From the information you have provided in your current and past posts I can see that you were placed in a very difficult situation when you were 18 and began caring for your siblings. It seems that you were not offered the right support or enabled to access legal advice to ensure that you were properly supported to care for your younger siblings. This put you and your family under financial duress.

You have been challenging this situation for a number of years. You have argued that the arrangement was not a private family arrangement as children’s services insisted . You have been through children’s services’ complaints procedure and as that did not resolve matters you rightly took your complaint to the Local Government Ombudsman. I can see from what you say that despite the LGO making some findings of fault against children’s services this has not addressed your concerns or resulted in the outcome you were hoping for. You have now been told that this cannot be looked at again.

It is understandable that you feel taken for granted and drained. And that you are very disappointed at how you were treated and the outcomes of your complaints.

You have also raised concerns in the past about your youngest siblings who were placed in the care of their father and later placed in the care system. This must also be distressing for you.

I will try to provide some advice based on my understanding of the current situation. As you have already done your very best to challenge there may be limited action you can take.

1) If the Local Government Ombudsman has addressed your complaint and you disagree with their decision then unfortunately there is no appeal as their decision is final. You can ask for a review if you meet specific criteria. This is set out in their review request form.

2) The only other way to challenge an LGO decision, if it is legally flawed, is by judicial review which would require specialist legal advice as it is a complex area of law. The LGO's website information on challenging their decisions sets this out.

3) You could discuss your situation with your local MP or Councillor to see if they can raise your situation with the local authority. However, if you have already been through the complaints procedure there may be little more they could add to this. However, they should be aware of, and able to raise with children’s services, the needs of kinship carers Please see our advice here on contacting your local MP or Councillor.

4) If you have queries about your younger siblings who are in care you could contact their Independent Reviewing Officer to let them know. The children can ask for an advocate too. An advocate could help them make a complaint if they wanted to. Please see this guide to children’s advocacy.

I am attaching a link to our advice sheet on welfare benefits for kinship carers, in case it will be helpful.

You may be interested in getting in touch with a local kinship care support group. You can find details here.

I hope that the information provided has been helpful although I know it does not resolve your difficulties. If I have misunderstood your query or you have any further queries then please do not hesitate to post again clarifying the current situation and any questions you have.

Best wishes

Suzie