West Sussex County Council Ordered To Pay Retired Grandmother Left To Care For Three Children

A grandmother who complained about a lack of support from West Sussex County Council after she took over the care of three of her grandchildren has been given £600.

A report from the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman detailed how the woman – known as Mrs C – stepped in after a fight left her daughter and two others hurt, with her daughter’s partner suspected of assault.

Despite Mrs C being retired and suddenly in charge of the welfare of three youngsters, the ombudsman found that no support was offered by the council between August and October 2018.

Help was only forthcoming when the youngest child started attending nursery. 

The report said:

“Given Mrs C was at that point looking after three children on her own, I would have expected the council to arrange for a social worker to meet with her to discuss her expectations and any support she would need.

“That is especially the case as Mrs C was reporting difficulties.”

The ombudsman recommended that the council apologise to Mrs C, pay her £600 and provide appropriate training for social worker staff.

A council spokesman said:

“We agree in full with the ombudsman’s findings and have apologised to Mrs C and paid her the recommended amount.

“As a result of this case we are providing ongoing training and development with our staff around supporting a child when they go to live with a family member and when a child moves between family members.”