Norfolk County Council (18 018 648)

Statement Upheld Charging 12-Mar-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Mr B’s complaint about an overpayment of direct payments. This is because the Council resolved the complaint by taking action with which Mr B and the Ombudsman are satisfied.

I Care International Limited (19 007 007)

Statement Upheld Charging 12-Mar-2020

Summary: Mr X complained the Care Provider, I Care International Ltd, inappropriately stated it would increase his mother, Mrs M’s care home fees from £530 to £750 for one year and then to £950 thereafter. Mr X said this was unfair and it has caused him significant distress. The Care Provider was at fault for failing to provide Mrs M with a contract in a timely manner. The contracts the Care Provider then drew up for Mrs M and other residents were not in line with legislation and breached the Care Quality Commission’s Regulations. The Care Provider has agreed to apologise to Mr X and pay him £300 for the unnecessary distress it caused him. It has also agreed to review its contracts to ensure they are fit for purpose.

Luton Borough Council (19 007 191)

Statement Not upheld Residential care 12-Mar-2020

Summary: There is no evidence of fault on the part of the Council in the way it charged the late Mr X for his care.

Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council (19 009 804)

Statement Upheld Domiciliary care 12-Mar-2020

Summary: The Council did not provide a proper response to complaints about the service the complainant received from a home care agency. The Council has implemented several service improvements, both with respect to the commissioning of care, and also its investigation of complaints and safeguarding concerns. The Council also offered a financial remedy for the complainant’s distress, and her representative’s time and trouble, but has agreed to increase this offer upon recommendation from the Ombudsman.

Sheffield City Council (19 011 200)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 12-Mar-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about the way in which a Council social worker handled a telephone conversation. This is because an investigation by the Ombudsman is unlikely to achieve the outcome Ms X wants or find fault causing a significant enough personal injustice.

North Somerset Council (19 011 925)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 12-Mar-2020

Summary: Mr B complains on behalf of his deceased mother about the Council’s involvement in the care and support she received prior to her death in 2017 and about its responses to his enquiries concerning these matters. The Ombudsman will not investigate the complaint because the substantive issues fall outside our jurisdiction.

Derbyshire County Council (19 017 268)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Disabled facilities grants 12-Mar-2020

Summary: Mrs X complains about the quality of work allowed by the Council when a lift was installed in her late father’s home. The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint as we do not consider Mrs X has suffered a significant personal injustice. Also she can ask the courts to decide whether the builder was negligent.

Warrington Council (18 009 388)

Statement Upheld Other 11-Mar-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman finds a care provider commissioned by the Council failed to protect Miss B’s belongings when she was detained in hospital. The Council has made a payment to Miss B to cover the loss of her belongings and has agreed to make an additional payment for the distress she suffered.

Hampshire County Council (18 014 182)

Statement Upheld Other 11-Mar-2020

Summary: The Ombudsmen found no fault by a Council relating to its role in a mental health assessment. The Ombudsmen found a Trust was at fault with its communication with a patient detained under the Mental Health Act about their illness and medication. There was also fault by the Trust in relation to accessing an advocate. The Ombudsmen recommended the Trust apologises for the distress caused by the identified faults and to create an action plan to address the faults.

Suffolk County Council (19 006 209)

Statement Upheld Assessment and care plan 11-Mar-2020

Summary: Mr X complains the Council failed to complete the remedy agreed on a previously upheld Ombudsman complaint. There is no fault by the Council in respect of three of the outstanding elements. In respect of the other issue, the Council did not properly explain its position to Mr X which is fault. It should now take action to rectify this and invite Mr X to request a new care assessment if he is ready to engage with the assessment process.