Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council (21 017 481)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Charging 23-Mar-2022

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s actions in relation to top-up payments. That is because the complaint is late.

Leeds City Council (21 010 306)

Statement Not upheld Other 23-Mar-2022

Summary: Ms X complained about the Council’s actions in passing on information from her daughter’s father, and some comments it made to him. She said these resulted in an inappropriate safeguarding referral and court action which caused her to spend a lot of time in court defending herself. We find the Council was not at fault.

Lincolnshire County Council (21 018 304)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Charging 22-Mar-2022

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Councils decision to charge the complainants son for a contribution towards the cost of his care. This is because there is insufficient fault in how the Council carried out its assessment.

London Borough of Hackney (21 016 820)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Assessment and care plan 22-Mar-2022

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the occupational therapy service. This is because we are unlikely to find evidence of fault.

Newcastle upon Tyne City Council (21 006 662)

Statement Upheld Covid-19 22-Mar-2022

Summary: The Council failed to provide Mr X with the support he needed to complete assessment forms for disability related expenditure and then communicated poorly about this with Mr X’s representative. The Council has apologised for the faults and agreed to consider backdating any allowance for disability related expenditure it may grant. These are appropriate actions to remedy any injustice caused to Mr X. It has also agreed to service improvements to minimise a reoccurrence of the fault.

West Sussex County Council (21 008 027)

Statement Not upheld Assessment and care plan 22-Mar-2022

Summary: Mr B says the Council made the wrong decision on ordinary residence, which has left his family without any adult social care support. The Council took legal advice to decide Ms C’s ordinary residence; so, we cannot question or criticise the Council’s decision as it followed the correct process. The Ombudsman cannot decide where Ms C is ordinarily resident. There is an ongoing dispute which will decide who is responsible to meet Ms C’s needs. The Council believed another council was meeting the family’s needs. The Council made proper and timely referrals and shared information with the other council to allow that to happen. There is no fault by the Council.

Hertfordshire County Council (20 001 982)

Statement Upheld Safeguarding 22-Mar-2022

Summary: The commissioned care provider inappropriately implemented its emergency hospital admission procedure when Mrs X was agitated after a fall. It failed to offer her prescribed pain relief. It was poor practice on the part of the care provider to tell Mrs X’s family she would be “sectioned” and caused considerable distress. The Council on behalf of the care provider will now apologise to Mrs X’s family, offer a sum to recognise their distress, and provide details of the remedial actions taken by the care provider.

Devon County Council (21 017 434)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Assessment and care plan 22-Mar-2022

Summary: We will not investigate Mr B’s complaint about the Council’s assessment of his care. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault with the actions taken by the Council to warrant an Ombudsman investigation.

Hampshire County Council (21 016 777)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Charging 21-Mar-2022

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint that the Council underfunded his mother’s residential care home placement over a decade ago. The complaint lies outside our jurisdiction because it is late and there are not good grounds to exercise discretion to consider this very late complaint now.

Sheffield City Council (21 016 866)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Transport 21-Mar-2022

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about an unsuccessful application for a Blue Badge. This is because the Council will do a face-to-face to mobility assessment and it is unlikely an investigation would lead to a different outcome.