The children, aged four and five at the time, told their adoptive mother that their foster carer had smacked them, gave them cold baths and made one of them wear a nappy meant for a disabled child.
An investigation by the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) found that Dudley Council looked into the case and the local authority designated officer (LADO) decided that the issue should be dealt with as a serious concern. However the council did not then go on to convene a planning meeting involving all the relevant officers.
Instead, the foster carer was told about the allegations before social workers had the chance to speak to the mother and children. The council decided that no further action should be taken, and social workers recorded the allegations as "unsubstantiated".
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