Assessment and care plan

West Sussex County Council (18 016 864)

Statement Upheld Assessment and care plan 15-Jul-2019

Summary: Miss X complains about the Council's decision to refuse a discretionary property disregard for her mother, Mrs Y, leaving Miss X without a home. The Ombudsman finds the Council delayed informing Miss X of its decision but finds no fault in the decision making process. The Ombudsman recommends the Council takes action to prevent recurrence of its delay.

Wiltshire Council (18 012 492)

Statement Not upheld Assessment and care plan 15-Jul-2019

Summary: The complainant says the Council has not properly recognised his need to attend classes in a day centre and include the costs in his financial assessment and payments. Instead the Council says he must claim for those costs each year separately as disability related expense. The complainant says this causes inconvenience and distress. The Council says it reflects the choices available to the complainant whereas the daily charge for attending the day centre does not alter. It is willing to review the complainant's financial assessment if he can continue to show these expenses are disability related. The Ombudsman finds the Council acted without fault in reaching this view.

London Borough of Barking & Dagenham (18 013 997)

Statement Not upheld Assessment and care plan 15-Jul-2019

Summary: There is no evidence of fault by the Council in the way it reached a decision about who would provide Ms Y's social support. Therefore, the Ombudsman cannot challenge the merits of the decision. There is no evidence to suggest Ms Y was caused any anxiety or distress during assessments. An independent advocate was present at all meetings and reported Ms Y willing to engage.

Somerset County Council (18 016 382)

Statement Upheld Assessment and care plan 15-Jul-2019

Summary: Miss B complains the Council was wrong to cut her personal budget in half and has failed to deal properly with her financial assessment. There was no fault by the Council over its assessment of Miss B's needs, which resulted in the cut to her personal budget, or over how it decided how much she has to pay for her care. But the Council was at fault for enabling Miss B to accrue more debts and for telling her it could not provide care until she agreed to pay off the debts. It needs to write off the debt and take action to prevent similar problems from happening again.

Wiltshire Council (18 016 676)

Statement Upheld Assessment and care plan 15-Jul-2019

Summary: Mrs C complained about the way the Council assessed her son's disability related expenses. Based on the evidence seen, the Ombudsman finds some fault in the way the Council reached its decision and how it dealt with Mrs C's complaint about it. To remedy the uncertainty this has caused Mrs C and her son, the Council has agreed to review the financial assessment, explain the outcome in writing and issue a formal apology.

London Borough of Lambeth (18 017 212)

Statement Upheld Assessment and care plan 12-Jul-2019

Summary: The Council delayed for over three months to give Mr C his care act assessment, setting out why he was not eligible for support and providing information and advice. The Council apologised and reminded staff of the correct process; this was appropriate action in response. Mr C disputed the assessment and is upset the Council has not completed a review. The Council is correct not to complete a review; Mr C has moved to another council who has assessed Mr C so there is nothing to gain.

Kent County Council (18 011 867)

Statement Not upheld Assessment and care plan 11-Jul-2019

Summary: The Ombudsmen found fault by the Trust as it delayed in arranging for the complainant's social care needs to be assessed and did not refer her to the primary care mental health service. The Trust agreed to apologise to the complainant and pay her a financial remedy in recognition of the distress this caused. The Ombudsmen are satisfied the social care assessments the Council eventually carried out were appropriate and in keeping with the requirements of the Care Act 2014.

Essex County Council (18 012 620)

Statement Not upheld Assessment and care plan 10-Jul-2019

Summary: The Council was not at fault in the way it reached a decision to charge full cost fees for the late Mrs X's stay in residential care.

Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea (18 002 423)

Statement Not upheld Assessment and care plan 10-Jul-2019

Summary: A man complained that he was evicted because the Council and NHS Trust did not provide him with enough support around his housing needs. The Ombudsmen find no fault with the Council's and Trust's actions.

Leeds City Council (18 010 200)

Statement Upheld Assessment and care plan 09-Jul-2019

Summary: Mrs D complains about a lack of social care support from the Council. The Ombudsman has found fault causing injustice. The Council has agreed to assess Mrs D's care and support needs.