The Governance Committee of Havering Council met on Friday 22 May 2026. The meeting was scheduled to include guidance notes for complainants and a report from the Stage Three Children's Complaint Review Panel.

Guidance Notes for Complainants

The meeting was scheduled to provide guidance notes for complainants, detailing the procedure for hearings related to children's social care complaints. These notes, available on pages 3-6 of the public reports pack¹, outline the process for individuals wishing to make representations under the Children Act 1989. The guidance explains that hearings are an inquisitorial process, meaning the panel will ask questions to gather information. It also clarifies the roles of the complainant, their representative, and the Children's Services representative. The panel's function is to review the complaint and make recommendations to the Service, with the possibility of dismissing or upholding the complaint in whole or in part. The process also details the timeline for the panel to compile its report and for the local authority to respond to the recommendations, including information on how to escalate a complaint to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.

Stage Three Children's Complaint Review Panel Report (HAV300948)

A key item scheduled for discussion was the Stage Three Children's Complaint Review Panel Report (HAV300948). This report, detailed on pages 7-68 of the public reports pack, is an exempt document. The meeting was set to consider this report, which would have been compiled following a review of a children's social care complaint. The panel's role, as outlined in the guidance notes, is to review previous representations and make recommendations for the resolution of the issues raised. The report would have contained a summary of these representations and the panel's proposed actions.