The county council has been ordered to pay a settlement after it failed to timely tell a sex offender whether he had permission to see his niece and nephew.

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman ordered Cumbria County Council to apologise and pay £100 to the unnamed man.

Mr Y, as the Ombudsman refers to him, was convicted of sexual offences and has a Sexual Harm Prevention Order imposed on him.

The order states he is “prohibited from having or seeking contact or any communication with any child under the age of 16 years other than…with the permission of that child’s parent or guardian, that person to be made aware of his convictions and with the express approval of social services for that area”.

But when Mr Y tried to get permission from the council to see his brother’s children, he got a response which the Ombudsman said “did not tell Mr Y anything specific”.

The response said: “We advise that you discuss the situation with the parents who can provide further detail.”

The Ombudsman said the council failed to explain what that ‘detail’ might cover.

The watchdog added: “The council also said that his request to have contact with the children would be considered as part of a wider assessment on the family, which was due to be completed the following January.

“The council told me it would have been ‘highly unlikely that the council would approve contact’ but that is not what it said to Mr Y.

“Mr Y did not hear anything in January. The council says it could not share information with Mr Y as he did not have parental responsibility.

“As the council had told him it would consider his request as part of the assessment process, which would finish in January, I consider it was inevitable Mr Y would expect feedback then.

“Mr Y did not need parental authority for the council to tell him it would agree, or not, to him having contact with the children.

“This delay is fault and it caused distress to Mr Y.”

The ruling continued: “Mr Y then had to come to the Ombudsman to find out what happened in his case. This is fault and it caused Mr Y time and trouble.”

The Ombudsman said the council should amend its procedures so complainants receive as full a response to questions as possible, within agreed timescales.

It added that had the council answered properly in January, Mr Y would not have needed to come to the Ombudsman.

“The council has agreed to suitable actions to remedy that injustice,” added the watchdog.

Cumbria County Council said it is implementing the recommendations but did not want to comment further.