Staffordshire County Council (19 007 167)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Residential care 01-Oct-2019

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Mrs B’s complaint that the Council agreed to commission a placement for her father which proved not to be appropriate and he received poor care. This is because the Council has considered the matters we would expect it to consider in the decision-making process, we cannot now recommend a remedy for Mr C for any injustice he may have suffered as a result of fault by the Council and we normally expect people to complain to the Care Quality Commission about possible breaches of standards.

East Sussex County Council (19 004 755)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Residential care 01-Oct-2019

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s involvement in his mother’s care and welfare from late 2016 to early 2017. The complaint lies outside the Ombudsman’s jurisdiction because it is late. I see no good reason to exercise discretion to consider this late complaint now. If Mr X remains dissatisfied with the Council’s final response it remains open to him to complain to the Information Commissioner as signposted by the Council.

Pendene House Residential Home Limited (18 000 516)

Statement Upheld Residential care 30-Sep-2019

Summary: The complainant says a Care Provider wrongly evicted his elderly father from its care home without giving due notice. The Care Provider says the complainant’s father self- discharged, had capacity to do so and that it acted in line with expert advice. The Ombudsman finds the Care Provider caused an injustice to the resident when it failed to provide him with 28 days’ notice to leave the home.

Newcastle upon Tyne City Council (18 016 945)

Statement Upheld Residential care 25-Sep-2019

Summary: Mrs X complained Eothen Homes Ltd, acting on behalf of the Council, failed to care properly for her mother, Mrs M. As a result, she developed a serious pressure sore before it was noticed by carers. On the evidence so far, the care home failed to keep complete and detailed records of Mrs M’s care and on balance, it missed opportunities to notice the development of the pressure sore. It also failed to report this as a safeguarding matter in a timely manner to the Council. The Council was at fault in the way it carried out the safeguarding investigation. The Council has agreed to apologise to Mrs X for the distress and uncertainty it caused her, make her a financial payment and carry out procedural changes.

Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council (18 014 383)

Statement Not upheld Residential care 25-Sep-2019

Summary: Mrs C says the care provider contracted by the Council did not administer her mother’s medication properly. There is no fault in how the care provider administered Mrs C’s mother’s medication.

Barchester Healthcare Homes Limited (18 005 493)

Statement Upheld Residential care 25-Sep-2019

Summary: Mrs X complains about the quality of care provided to her husband, Mr Y. She complains the Care Provider has failed to properly implement conditions attached to Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards for Mr Y since October 2016, which related to activities to occupy Mr Y’s time and to manage his interaction with another resident. Mrs X says she had to move Mr Y to another care home in April 2018, when his health and well-being deteriorated further as a result of poor care. Mrs X is unhappy with the Care Provider’s refusal to refund all the upfront fees she paid on Mr Y’s admission. The Care Provider has already offered Mrs X a payment to remedy the faults it identified with her husband’s care and the service to her. The Care Provider has accepted the Ombudsman’s finding of an additional fault and agreed to provide further remedy.

William Wilberforce Care Home (18 002 657)

Statement Upheld Residential care 25-Sep-2019

Summary: Mrs C complains about the care Mrs D received while in a Care Home. The poor care led to pressure sores, dehydration and weight loss. The Ombudsmen uphold the complaint. We find fault from both the Care Home and a District Nurses Team in the advice and care around pressure damage. We also find other instances of poor care and record keeping by the Care Home. We have made recommendations.

William Wilberforce (18 002 657a)

Statement Upheld Residential care 25-Sep-2019

Summary: Mrs C complains about the care Mrs D received while in a Care Home. The poor care led to pressure sores, dehydration and weight loss. The Ombudsmen uphold the complaint. We find fault from both the Care Home and a District Nurses Team in the advice and care around pressure damage. We also find other instances of poor care and record keeping by the Care Home. We have made recommendations.

Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead Council (18 017 393)

Statement Upheld Residential care 24-Sep-2019

Summary: Mrs B complains about the way the Council commissioned care provider decided her father, Mr C, could no longer stay at the care home. Mrs B says the care provider did not discuss the issues with her before the Council moved Mr C to another care home without notifying her. Mrs B says this caused distress for her and Mr C. The Council is at fault for not correctly managing Mr C’s placement termination in liaison with him and his family. The Council has agreed to remind staff of the correct procedure, to work with the care provider to keep residents and their family informed about changes to care or placement. The Council will also apologise and make a payment to remedy the uncertainty and distress caused to Mrs B.

Manchester City Council (18 017 694)

Statement Upheld Residential care 19-Sep-2019

Summary: Ms X complains her father, Mr Y, was the victim of abuse and neglect by four carers at Ringway Mews Care Home and the Council left her dealing with this on her own with little or no support. There is no dispute over the fact Mr Y was the victim of abuse and that this should have been reported to the Council as a safeguarding concern. If this had happened Miss X could have been better supported. The Council needs to apologise for the failings and the distress they caused.