Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council (18 011 052)

Statement Upheld Direct payments 20-May-2019

Summary: Miss X complains the Council failed to assess her needs properly in March 2018, resulting in a significant cut in her personal budget. When the Council identified changes in her circumstances it should have done a needs assessment. The failure to do so means it is unclear whether it is providing enough help to meet her eligible care needs. The Council should do a needs assessment and take action to make sure it does them when necessary in future.

London Borough of Lewisham (18 009 712)

Statement Not upheld Direct payments 08-May-2019

Summary: It was not fault on the part of the Council to expect Mr X to use its pre-paid card to access his Direct Payments in the absence of evidence the system would not work for him.

Nottinghamshire County Council (18 012 814)

Statement Upheld Direct payments 08-May-2019

Summary: Mrs X complained fault by the Council led to her mother overpaying for home care. The Ombudsman finds the Council was at fault for not providing enough information when Mrs X’s mother moved from funding her care privately to getting direct payments from the Council. The Council has agreed to give Mrs X further written explanations and, if her mother paid the care agency more than she should have done, refund the difference. It will also amend staff guidance to prevent the fault recurring.

Norfolk County Council (17 003 431)

Statement Not upheld Direct payments 08-May-2019

Summary: There was no significant fault by the Council. The direct payments it paid to Ms B covered the cost of the support her live-in carers provided when a suitable respite placement could not be found.

Brighton & Hove City Council (18 019 847)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Direct payments 08-May-2019

Summary: Ms X complains about the way the Council dealt with a change to her Direct Payments. The Ombudsman will not investigate the complaint because we cannot usefully add to the investigation already carried out by the Council and there is no worthwhile outcome to be achieved by an investigation.

Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council (18 009 040)

Statement Upheld Direct payments 30-Apr-2019

Summary: Miss X says the Council is at fault because it has not allowed her to modify her personal budget so that she can employ a personal assistant. The Ombudsman recommended the Council review its decision. It has done so and agreed to provide Miss X with a budget that will allow her to employ a suitable personal assistant. For this reason, the Ombudsman has ended his investigation of this complaint.

Surrey County Council (18 011 536)

Statement Upheld Direct payments 29-Apr-2019

Summary: Ms X and Ms Y complained the Council reduced their mother’s direct payments but her care needs had not changed. The Council calculated their mother’s personal budget based on its assessments of her needs. It has explained how the budget is sufficient to meet those needs, based on its experience of costs within the local care provider market. The Council took too long to respond to Ms X and Ms Y’s complaint. It has apologised which is appropriate to remedy the injustice.

Suffolk County Council (17 018 391)

Report Upheld Direct payments 08-Apr-2019

Summary: Mr & Mrs J complain the Council was wrong to reduce their support hours in 2016, has failed to rectify the error during subsequent reviews and was wrong to exclude Mrs K from meetings as their chosen communicator guide.