North Yorkshire County Council (21 014 542)

Statement Upheld Charging 07-Feb-2022

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs B’s complaint about the delay in receiving an overpayment for her late mother’s, Mrs C’s, care charges. This is because the Council has refunded the monies owed to the estate and there is no unremedied injustice warranting an Ombudsman investigation.

Durham County Council (21 014 044)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Charging 07-Feb-2022

Summary: We will not investigate Mr B’s complaint about the Council charging his late father, Mr C for his care. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault with the actions taken by the Council to warrant an Ombudsman investigation. Further investigation could not add to the Council’s responses or make a different finding of the kind Mr B wants.

Manchester City Council (21 004 119)

Statement Upheld Charging 04-Feb-2022

Summary: Mrs X complains about the Council’s decision to charge Mr Y for his care home place following his admission to hospital. There is no evidence of fault in the Council’s decision to charge Mr Y for his place in residential care following his hospital admission. The Council delayed in dealing with Mrs X’s complaint which caused avoidable time and trouble to her. The Council has agreed to apologise to Mrs X for this injustice.

West Sussex County Council (21 013 940)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Charging 04-Feb-2022

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision not to apply a discretionary property disregard. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault in the way the Council made its decision.

Leeds City Council (21 005 328)

Statement Upheld Charging 03-Feb-2022

Summary: Mr X complained the Council has incorrectly decided Mrs Z deprived herself of assets. Mr X says this has caused Mrs Z to incur care home costs she should not have had to pay. The Council has accepted it failed to consider all the criteria for deprivation of assets. The Council has changed, and backdated, its decision on Mrs Z’s deprivation of assets and apologised to Mrs Z. The Ombudsman considers the Council’s actions have remedied the fault. The Council also accepted the Ombudsman’s recommendation to pay Mrs Z £250 for the distress and inconvenience caused.

B & M Care/Colleycare Ltd (21 001 913)

Statement Not upheld Charging 01-Feb-2022

Summary: Mr C complains about the way the care provider dealt with notice period charges and the return of belongings after his mother left the care home. Mr C says the care provider did not try to mitigate its financial loss when his mother left the home and should waive the remaining invoice. We have found no evidence of fault by the care provider.

Blackpool Borough Council (21 014 240)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Charging 01-Feb-2022

Summary: We will not investigate Mr B’s complaint about allegations made by his carer. This is because further investigation by the Ombudsman could not make a finding of the kind Mr B wants. Claims of defamation and libel are properly for the courts to consider and it would be reasonable for Mr B to ask the court to consider his claim.

Medway Council (20 010 875)

Statement Upheld Charging 31-Jan-2022

Summary: Mrs B complained a Care Provider (Voyage Care) commissioned by the Council unreasonably charged for travel expenses incurred by her daughter, a resident at one of its residential care homes. We upheld the complaint, identifying flaws in the Care Provider’s policy and the Council’s response when alerted to it. This caused Mrs B unnecessary distress and put her to unnecessary time and trouble. The Council accepts these findings and at the end of this statement, I set out the action it has agreed to take to remedy Mrs B’s injustice. It has also agreed to learn lessons from the complaint and consider others who may be similarly affected.

East Sussex County Council (21 014 357)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Charging 28-Jan-2022

Summary: We will not investigate this late complaint about Mr Y’s care contributions. There is not a good reason Ms X did not bring the complaint to us sooner.

Kent County Council (21 005 950)

Statement Upheld Charging 27-Jan-2022

Summary: Ms C complains the Council failed to calculate charges properly and inappropriately pursued for arrears. As well as making some procedural changes the Council has agreed to apologise to Ms C and pay her £250 for how it dealt with backdating charges. The Council is also at fault for failing to properly consider payments made by Ms C towards housing and council tax in financial assessments for care at home. It has agreed to reconsider Ms D’s current financial assessment and review procedures.