Barchester Healthcare Homes Limited (19 007 698)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Charging 28-Oct-2019

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Mr X’s complaint the care provider’s annual fee increases set out in its contract are too high. This is because there is no evidence of fault in the care provider’s actions.

London Borough of Lewisham (18 010 781)

Statement Upheld Charging 24-Oct-2019

Summary: Faults by the Trust, Council and CCG led to Mrs X paying for accommodation which should have been free section 117 aftercare. Faults by the Council in dealing with Ms X’s enquiries and complaints caused her unnecessary time and trouble. The Council has already offered a fair remedy for Ms X’s injustice. The Trust, Council and CCG have accepted the Ombudsmen’s recommendations for service improvements and to address the injustice to Mrs X. We have therefore completed our investigation.

London Borough of Enfield (19 002 955)

Statement Upheld Charging 24-Oct-2019

Summary: The Council failed to complete a financial assessment, for a residential care placement, in 2015. It initially decided to backdate the complainant’s charges, but later agreed to waive them to the date it notified the complainant of its error. However, it should have provided the complainant with a copy of the financial breakdown.

London Borough of Enfield (19 003 846)

Statement Upheld Charging 24-Oct-2019

Summary: The Council has remedied the outstanding injustice on this complaint by revising the backdated charges for care to zero. The Council has also apologised for any stress caused.

Durham County Council (19 000 310)

Statement Not upheld Charging 23-Oct-2019

Summary: Mrs J, Mrs K and Ms L complain the Council wrongly charged their mother, Mrs M fees for short stay in a care home. The Ombudsman has found no evidence of fault in the way the Council considered these matters and has completed his investigation.

Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council (19 000 024)

Statement Upheld Charging 22-Oct-2019

Summary: Mrs J complains about the Council’s request that her son pay backdated contributions towards his care charges. We uphold the complaint finding that Mrs J (who manages her son’s finances) could not have realised some of the contributions paid by her son were wrong. The Council also missed opportunities to correct this sooner. We consider this caused injustice as the bill the Council sent to Mrs J was too high as a result. The Council accepts this finding and agrees to write off some of the charges and apologise to Mrs J. It will also pay her £200 to reflect distress caused by some poor communications.

North Yorkshire County Council (18 017 593)

Statement Not upheld Charging 21-Oct-2019

Summary: Ms S complained on behalf of her brother that the Council provided him with insufficient care and wrongly assessed his financial contribution. The Council was not at fault.

London Borough of Havering (18 017 360)

Statement Upheld Charging 17-Oct-2019

Summary: Mr and Mrs X complained the Council delayed assessing Mr X’s mother’s (Mrs Y’s) care needs and mismanaged her finances when it was her deputy. The Council was at fault when it did not order equipment in March 2018. This did not cause a significant injustice. There was no fault in its response to Mr and Mrs X’s request for a care needs assessment or in its management of Mrs Y’s finances. I cannot come to findings on solicitors’ fees as these were linked to court proceedings.

Nottinghamshire County Council (18 013 338)

Statement Upheld Charging 17-Oct-2019

Summary: Mr B complains the Council did not tell him about care charges when his mother entered a care home and wrongly charged him for her stay. The Ombudsman found fault with the Council causing injustice. The Council failed to provide important information and took too long to carry out a financial assessment. The Council has agreed to take action to remedy the injustice caused.

West Sussex County Council (18 014 071)

Statement Upheld Charging 16-Oct-2019

Summary: Mr and Mrs C complaint the Council failed to tell them there would be a charge for the homecare Mrs M would receive. The Ombudsman found that, while there was some fault in the actions of the Council, it did tell Mr C there would be a charge. The Council has already taken appropriate action to address any faults and remedy any injustice.