Leeds City Council (04C16622)

Adult care services                      Maladministration causing injustice

04 May 2006

‘Mr Walker’ (not his real name for legal reasons) is a disabled council tenant who says that the Council delayed in providing adaptations to his home to meet his needs as a disabled person.

Mr Walker’s needs were assessed as long ago as September 2002. Over three years later he has still not had those needs met. The delay is clearly maladministration. The Council accepts that in the period between September 2002 and June 2003 the case drifted with no decision being taken, because there was no clear procedure for dealing with such adaptation cases where no agreement had been reached either between the officers involved or between those officers and the applicant. The lack of a clear written policy in such circumstances is also maladministration.

The Ombudsman also found maladministration in the inadequate supervision of the officer dealing with Mr Walker’s case, and in the poor communication with him.

The Council has, to its credit, accepted the maladministration identified by the Ombudsman, and has made some fundamental changes in its procedures and policy. It also proposes to offer Mr Walker alternative accommodation which meets his and his family’s needs.

The Ombudsman recommends that the Council pays Mr Walker’s family £5,000 compensation and funds a two-week holiday for them during the school holidays of summer 2006.

Date Published: 03/02/09