Council criticised over failure to protect family from violent son

The family asked Northumberland Council multiple times for help over a five-month period in 2013, which ended with the police having to remove the teenage son from the family home following a report he had assaulted his mother and younger siblings.

Local Government Ombudsman Michael King found that the council failed to take into account the impact on the younger children of the teenage son's behaviour, which included an incident where he held a knife to his mother's neck and threatened to stab his siblings.

King found that the council did not properly consider the needs of the younger children, failed to talk to them about their harrowing experiences and did not involve other agencies, including police, when assessing risks to the children's safety.

"Northumberland Council has continually attempted to minimise the seriousness of the allegations made against the older son," said King.

"The council was aware of the family's turbulent situation, but there appears to have been little thought given to the impact this had on the younger siblings, and the potential harm this could have caused.

"Throughout the complaint, the council has failed to acknowledge the voices of the children."

Northumberland is also criticised by King for failing to deal with the family's complaints until he intervened.

In addition, an independent investigation commissioned by the council, which upheld a number of the family's complaints, took more than a year to carry out even though legally such an investigation should be completed within 65 days.

The council has been ordered to pay the couple £1,000 for the time and trouble they took to pursue their complaints and for the uncertainty, distress and anxiety caused by the council's failures to properly deal with their case.