Bournemouth Borough Council (18 012 035)

Statement Upheld Assessment and care plan 25-Nov-2019

Summary: The Council is at fault as it did not instruct an independent social worker to consider if Mrs X had unmet need from March 2016 when carrying out an independent assessment of her care and support needs following a previous complaint to the Ombudsman. This fault caused uncertainty to Mr and Mrs X which the Council should remedy. There is no evidence of fault in the Council’s decision not to backdate Mrs X’s increased care package to March 2016.

Cumbria County Council (18 013 457)

Statement Upheld Assessment and care plan 22-Nov-2019

Summary: Mr X complained the Council failed to properly carry out an assessment under the Mental Health Act 1983 which led to his detention under section 2 of the Act. Mr X said he was discriminated against and wrongfully detained. The Council has already accepted there was fault in areas of the assessment process and made recommendations to prevent the same issues occurring again. The Council has agreed to provide evidence it has carried out those recommendations.

Gloucestershire County Council (19 010 566)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Assessment and care plan 21-Nov-2019

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Mr and Mrs A’s complaint about the actions of the Council during its consideration of a 12-week disregard for Mrs B’s property. This is because there is no evidence of fault with the actions taken by the Council warranting an Ombudsman investigation.

Shropshire Council (19 010 330)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Assessment and care plan 19-Nov-2019

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Mrs A’s complaint about the way the Council reviewed her daughter’s, Ms B’s, care needs in 2018. This is because the actions taken by the Council have not caused a significant enough injustice to warrant an investigation by the Ombudsman.

Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council (19 002 189)

Statement Upheld Assessment and care plan 18-Nov-2019

Summary: Mrs B complains about social care support provided by the Council to her daughter Ms C, when she was without a personal assistant. We find fault in the Council commissioning an agency to undertake domestic tasks that did not provide a satisfactory service. Also, for it failing to investigate a complaint about that service. This caused Ms C distress and put her to unnecessary time and trouble. The Council has agreed to remedy this by providing an apology and £250 payment in recognition of her injustice.

London Borough of Brent (18 018 024)

Statement Upheld Assessment and care plan 15-Nov-2019

Summary: There was some delay on the part of the Council is reviewing Mr N’s needs but no evidence that caused him significant injustice as a result. The Council put in place an additional allocation of time for socialisation and referred him for a floating support worker to help him with paperwork.

North Somerset Council (19 002 246)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Assessment and care plan 15-Nov-2019

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Mr A’s complaint about the Council’s failure to assess his needs. This is because the Council has explained it has consulted with Mr A’s GP who will advise it of any changes in Mr A’s care needs requiring an assessment and the Ombudsman could not say this is fault.

Cheshire West & Chester Council (18 010 569)

Statement Upheld Assessment and care plan 13-Nov-2019

Summary: Ms X complains about the Council’s handling of her care needs and financial assessments. She also complains the Council should have safeguarded her wellbeing and needs. The Ombudsman finds fault with the Council for failing to send Ms X copies of her reassessments and final care plans. We also find fault with the time taken for the Council to consider Ms X’s disability related expenditure. We have recommended the Council make a financial payment.

Nottingham City Council (19 008 305)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Assessment and care plan 13-Nov-2019

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint about how the Council assessed the complainant’s finances or the delay increasing the complainant’s support package. This is as it is unlikely that further investigation by the Ombudsman could add to the Council’s response.

Leeds City Council (18 017 595)

Statement Not upheld Assessment and care plan 12-Nov-2019

Summary: Mr X complains about the way the Council assessed the late Mrs Y’s contribution to her care. He wants the Council to disregard accumulated capital from her attendance allowance. The Ombudsman finds no fault with the Council’s approach to this.