Court orders made for the care, supervision or emergency protection of children place duties on children’s services. A failure to carry out those duties can be the subject of a complaint.
In relation to a care or supervision order, a complaint can be about:
- The decision by the local authority to bring the court case
- The way that children’s services exercise their parental responsibility for the child under the order
- The control of parental contact with the child in care (dealt with below)
- How supervisors perform their duties where a supervision order is in force
In relation to an emergency protection order, a complaint can be about:
- The decision by the local authority to bring a court case
- Decisions relating to the return of children removed from their home.
See Getting the best from complaints, 2006 at paragraph 2.2.2.