North Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council (21 004 180)

Statement Upheld Direct payments 14-Feb-2022

Summary: There was fault by the Council in failing to audit Ms Y’s direct payment or carry out yearly financial assessments. This caused Ms Y and her family avoidable confusion. The Council will apologise, write off an overspend, reclaim an overpayment, reduce the outstanding client contribution and take action to improve services described in this statement.

Shropshire Council (21 009 053)

Statement Not upheld Direct payments 14-Feb-2022

Summary: We did not uphold Ms X’s complaint about reclaiming an unspent direct payment because the Council acted in line with Care and Support Statutory Guidance and its direct payment policy and explained how it had calculated the payment that Mr Y needed to make.

Lincolnshire County Council (21 012 785)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Direct payments 11-Jan-2022

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s refusal to retrospectively backdate Ms B’s Disability Related Expenditure (DRE) assessment to 2016. This is because Ms B’s father, Mr C, could have complained to us before now if he was unhappy with Ms B’s DRE assessment.

East Sussex County Council (21 006 916)

Statement Upheld Direct payments 04-Jan-2022

Summary: The investigation into the way the Council dealt with Mrs Y’s direct payments will be discontinued. The Council has proposed a fair remedy and we would not be able to add anything to the outcome.

Peterborough City Council (21 004 264)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Direct payments 22-Dec-2021

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s demand for Mr and Mrs X to repay direct payment monies for their daughter. This is because the Council cancelled its demand on receipt of the family’s explanations for why the money had been used. Therefore the family have not been caused a significant injustice as a result of the Council’s actions.

London Borough of Barnet (20 013 705)

Statement Upheld Direct payments 15-Dec-2021

Summary: There is no fault in the Council’s decision to stop Mr Y’s direct payments and seek repayment of unauthorised spends. However, it failed to offer Mr Y a commissioned service to meet his assessed needs.

East Sussex County Council (20 006 064)

Statement Upheld Direct payments 10-Dec-2021

Summary: Mrs Y complained about the way the Council dealt with Mr X’s direct payments, and its complaints handling. The Ombudsman has found fault by the Council, causing injustice. The Council has agreed to remedy this by apologising, making payments to reflect distress, time and trouble, and contacting Mrs Y to address any outstanding concerns about the direct payment account.

North Yorkshire County Council (21 010 739)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Direct payments 08-Dec-2021

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the misuse of direct payments. This is because the Council actions have not caused Miss X a significant injustice.

London Borough of Croydon (21 011 381)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Direct payments 08-Dec-2021

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the care received by Mr X or how Ms Y was treated. This is because it is a late complaint and there are no good reasons to exercise discretion to accept it now.

Nottingham City Council (21 010 203)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Direct payments 23-Nov-2021

Summary: We will not investigate Mr B’s complaint about the Council refusing him a Direct Payment so he can purchase his own care. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault with the actions taken by the Council to warrant an Ombudsman investigation.