Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council (19 017 889)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Safeguarding 19-Mar-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Mrs B’s late complaint about the discharge and support provided to her mother, Mrs C, in 2017. This is because it is unlikely any further investigation by the Ombudsman could add to the Council’s response or make a finding of the kind Mrs B wants. There is no good reason for the Ombudsman to exercise his discretion to investigate this late complaint now.

Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council (19 005 753)

Statement Upheld Safeguarding 18-Mar-2020

Summary: Mrs X complains the Council failed to deal properly with safeguarding concerns raised in May 2018, involving her now late grandmother, and failed to tell her the outcome. The Council accepts responsibility for a lack of communication with Mrs X about the safeguarding concerns. It has now improved the procedures for dealing with safeguarding concerns, to ensure this does not happen again. It needs to apologise to Mrs X and pay her £350 for the distress caused and trouble she has been put to.

Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council (19 019 970)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Safeguarding 10-Mar-2020

Summary: Mr D complained about the actions of a Care Provider, Trust and Council when they dealt with contact the Care Provider initiated with his late mother without consent when she was in an intermediate care unit. There was fault by the Care Provider and the Trust, but they acted to improve. It is unlikely the Ombudsmen could add to the previous investigations already completed by the authorities complained about. In addition, the Ombudsmen cannot achieve the outcome the complainant wants. For these reasons the Ombudsmen should not investigate this complaint.

Birmingham City Council (19 009 719)

Statement Not upheld Safeguarding 09-Mar-2020

Summary: Mrs F complains on behalf of her sister about the way the Council dealt with an adult safeguarding enquiry. The Ombudsman has not found fault.

Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council (19 003 492)

Statement Upheld Safeguarding 04-Mar-2020

Summary: Ms X complained that Walsall Metropolitan Council, Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust and Pleck Health Centre failed to meet safeguarding duties in respect of her late mother, Mrs Y. The agencies responded appropriately to safeguarding alerts and made best interest decisions about Mrs Y’s care that considered relevant evidence, including the difference of views amongst family members. The Council was at fault for not feeding back the outcome of its safeguarding investigation to the Pleck Health Centre. This did not cause injustice.

Nottinghamshire County Council (19 014 753)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Safeguarding 04-Mar-2020

Summary: Mrs X complained about the Council’s actions when concerns were raised about her handling of her father’s finances. We will not investigate this complaint as it is unlikely we would find fault by the Council.

London Borough of Lewisham (19 016 254)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Safeguarding 04-Mar-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint about contact restrictions imposed by the Council’s children’s services. This is because the complaint is made late and there are no good reasons to exercise the Ombudsman’s discretion to investigate it now.

Norfolk County Council (19 017 624)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Safeguarding 03-Mar-2020

Summary: A woman complained about the way the Council carried out an assessment under the Mental Health Act 1983 in her case. But the Ombudsman does not have reason to investigate this matter because there is no sign of fault by the Council.

Oxfordshire County Council (19 007 554)

Statement Upheld Safeguarding 02-Mar-2020

Summary: The Ombudsmen found fault with the care provided to an elderly man by a care home acting on behalf of the Council. The Council agreed to apologise for this fault and pay a financial sum in recognition of the distress this caused. The Ombudsmen were satisfied a GP Practice and Trust that were also involved in the man’s care acted without fault.

Essex County Council (19 008 956)

Statement Not upheld Safeguarding 27-Feb-2020

Summary: Mrs X’s brother, Mr Y, lived in a residential home. The care provider had financial policies which the Council said were not acceptable. Mrs X complains the Council should have been aware of the internal policy of the care provider. She also complains the Council has not taken any action to review the financial policies of its other commissioned care providers. The Ombudsman does not find fault with the Council’s actions.