Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council (19 004 200)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Disabled facilities grants 16-Aug-2019

Summary: A disabled man complained the Council had not taken sufficient responsibility for defective works a builder carried when making adaptations to his property in 2014, and had not done enough to help resolve the ongoing problems caused by these works. But the Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint because it has been made late.

Blaby District Council (18 016 468)

Statement Not upheld Disabled facilities grants 31-Jul-2019

Summary: There is no fault by the Council in relation to this complaint about a decision to pay only part of an agreed Disabled Facilities Grant following the death of the applicant before the work was completed.

Nottinghamshire County Council (18 016 793)

Statement Upheld Disabled facilities grants 31-Jul-2019

Summary: The Ombudsman upholds the complaint from Ms X about the delay in assessing her children’s need for adaptations. The Council took too long to allocate an occupational therapist and make a referral to the district council. It also delayed in deciding how much it would contribute to the work. The Council will apologise to Ms X and pay her and her children in recognition of the impact on them all of the delay. It will offer assessments to any other eligible children in the household. The Council will also provide additional training to staff about overcrowding and take action to reduce the time taken to allocate an occupational therapist in future.

London Borough of Hillingdon (18 017 769)

Statement Upheld Disabled facilities grants 22-Jul-2019

Summary: Mr X complains the Council delayed completing major adaptations necessary for his wife’s safety, causing them both distress and resulting in her untimely death. The Ombudsman does not find fault in the Council’s handling of adaptations but finds the Council failed to communicate properly with Mr X. The Ombudsman recommends the Council provides an apology and payment to Mr X.

Cheshire East Council (19 002 343)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Disabled facilities grants 17-Jul-2019

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about adaptations to her home for her disabled son. The Council has agreed to reassess the case and thereafter to consider her complaint should she remain unhappy.

Bedford Borough Council (18 007 251)

Statement Upheld Disabled facilities grants 16-Jul-2019

Summary: Mr X complains on behalf of his mother, Mrs Y about the way the Council handled the Disabled Facilities Grant process which funded adaptations to her home. He says the work to carry out the adaptations was delayed and completed to a poor standard. The Council has already admitted it was at fault for the way it handled this process, but the Ombudsman has found the extent of the injustice that Mr X and Mrs Y were caused is unclear. Consequently, we recommend the Council commissions an independent surveyor to assess the work that has been undertaken, in order to determine whether any remedial work needs to be carried out. We also recommend that it assesses the injustice caused once this inspection is complete and considers whether to make a payment to Mr X and Mrs Y for any distress and inconvenience they were caused. The Council has agreed to carry out these recommendations.

Epsom & Ewell Borough Council (19 002 387)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Disabled facilities grants 03-Jul-2019

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about the Council’s decision not to reimburse her through a Disabled Facilities Grant for the cost of a shower she fitted to her Housing Association property. There is not enough evidence of fault by the Council which led to Mrs X incurring the costs of the works. Mrs X’s Adult Social Care assessment has not found she would have been eligible for a Disabled Facilities Grant for the shower.

Staffordshire County Council (18 005 247)

Statement Upheld Disabled facilities grants 26-Jun-2019

Summary: Mr X complains an appropriate remedy has not been provided for the upheld complaints about a care assessment. The Council delayed in assessing the needs of his twin sons who have autism. As a result the family had to manage without necessary adaptations for 10 months longer than should have been the case. A suitable remedy is now agreed.

Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Council (18 009 778)

Statement Upheld Disabled facilities grants 20-Jun-2019

Summary: Mr X complains that the Council delayed and refused a second exit when he applied for a disabled facilities grant, despite two OT’s recommendations. When he appealed this, his bathroom and other works were put on hold and his needs were not met in the best way. The Ombudsman finds the Council did not need to provide the exit but was at fault in the confusing recommendations, delays and failure to clearly explain why it was not responsible. The Council will arrange for the remaining work to be completed urgently.

Hertfordshire County Council (18 007 183)

Statement Upheld Disabled facilities grants 18-Jun-2019

Summary: Mrs X complains the occupational therapist failed to carry out an assessment which stalled her application for a disabled facilities grant. The information provided shows the Council was prepared to carry out an assessment but Mrs X declined. While the County Council should have passed on information about Mrs X declining an assessment to the Borough Council, it was her refusal of an assessment that caused her injustice.