Council pays out £2,500 for mishandling of historical sex abuse allegations

Trafford council has paid out £2,500 in compensation over its mishandling of allegations of historical sexual abuse against a male foster carer.

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman ordered the payout after it deemed the council’s subsequent apology following the foster couple, Mr and Mrs X’s, complaint had been mainly upheld.

Mr and Mrs X were foster carers employed by the council in 2020. The couple complained to the council in April of that year about how the authority had handled allegations against Mr X of historical sexual abuse. They asked the council to proceed straight to stage two of the children’s statutory procedure, because of the complex nature of their complaint.

READ MORE: Join the FREE Manchester Evening News WhatsApp community

The council upheld the majority of their complaints at stage two but 'had not offered a suitable remedy', said the Ombudsman. “The council was at fault,” the Ombudsman said in his report.

“The remedy the council offered for the upheld parts of the complaint was insufficient. During our investigation, it revised its position and has now offered Mr and Mrs X £2,500 as a remedy for the injustice caused. This is an appropriate offer and in line with our guidance on remedies. It will now make this offer to Mr and Mrs X.”

The council had acknowledged their complaint in May 2020. It said there would be a delay responding due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mrs and Mrs X’s complaint was investigated under the council’s children’s statutory complaints procedure. The council said Mr and Mrs X agreed the complaint statement in May 2020 but asked for an additional point of complaint to be added in October 2020.

It provided a stage two complaint response in February 2021. It