Internal procedures at Sutton Council are being reviewed following inaccuracies in a child protection investigation.

The authority has apologised to a family after a complaint was made to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.

A mother, named in the report as Mrs B, complained that a social worker’s assessment of her children and the decision to put them under a child protection plan was wrong.

She said that the social worker did not provide her with help and support to prepare for the initial conference in 2016.

The mum claimed that a report exaggerated bruises on her children and said their father hit them when drunk, which she said was untrue.

She also claimed that the social worker exaggerated alcohol abuse and said that the children had been exposed to domestic abuse recently rather than in the past.

An initial complaint was made to Sutton Council in July last year before it was referred to the Ombudsman.

The watchdog considered the social worker’s investigation and her statements but not the decision to put the children in a child protection plan.

In a final report published on June 28, the ombudsman agreed with the fact that the children were put on the plan, but stated that there was fault in the council’s actions relating to a child protection investigation.

When Mrs B did not agree with an initial investigation by Sutton Council, an independent investigator was brought in and upheld three of her eight complaints.

These were that the social worker did not provide Mrs B with support and advice before a child protection conference, an assessment of the parents’ parenting capacity was incomplete and that an incomplete report influenced the conference.

The Ombudsman’s report said: “I agree with the findings of the stage 2 investigation that there was some fault in the council’s actions regarding a child protection investigation.

“The council has agreed to remedy the fault.”

It also added that the council has since apologised to Mrs B.

A spokesman for Sutton Council said: “We accept the findings of the Ombudsman and are reviewing our internal procedures to ensure this situation does not arise again.”