Hertfordshire County Council (25 007 481)

Statement Upheld Assessment and care plan 18-Aug-2026

Summary: Mr and Mrs X complained about Council failings in respect of direct payments, care assessments and financial assessments. The Council failed to respond to requests for information about direct payments and for new care assessments for several years causing distress and financial hardship. While some action has been taken including a new care assessment and reimbursement of overpaid contributions to Mrs X, there are outstanding issues in respect of Mr X’s holiday pay, hourly pay rate and annual audits. A remedy including payments for backdated pay and distress as well as service improvements is agreed.

London Borough of Ealing (25 013 715)

Statement Not upheld Assessment and care plan 18-Aug-2026

Summary: We found no fault in the way the Council reached its decisions about Mr Y’s care placement on discharge from hospital, whether he needed a psychological evaluation or whether a social worker properly considered whether Mr Y met the criteria for fast-track Continuing Health Care (CHC).

Medway Council (25 021 859)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Assessment and care plan 18-Aug-2026

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about how the Council has communicated with him about the cost of his mother’s care, and other matters about her care. Mr X has not suffered significant injustice and the Council has already provided a suitable remedy.

Norfolk County Council (25 017 372)

Statement Upheld Assessment and care plan 17-Aug-2026

Summary: Mrs X complained the Council failed to take action to ensure it met her assessed eligible needs after she explained she was unable to use direct payments. It also failed to complete a reassessment of needs as offered in September 2025 in response to a complaint. The Council accepts it failed to complete a reassessment after cancelling the direct payments and then delayed completing this reassessment, causing uncertainty and distress. The Council proposed a suitable remedy after accepting fault in response to the Ombudsman’s enquiries which includes a symbolic payment, a reassessment and service improvements.

Surrey County Council (25 024 239)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Assessment and care plan 17-Aug-2026

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council failing to provide care and support in line with his mother’s needs and removing some of her care records. This is because part of it is late, we could not add to the previous investigation and it is unlikely we would find fault.

London Borough of Wandsworth (25 005 281)

Statement Upheld Assessment and care plan 16-Aug-2026

Summary: Mrs D complained about NHS South West London Integrated Care Board’s (the ICB’s) and London Borough of Wandsworth Council’s (the Council’s) response to her son’s, J’s, deteriorating mental health before and after he was detained under the Mental Health Act. We find fault that the ICB did not attempt to arrange a Care and Treatment Review earlier. And we also find fault that the ICB and the Council failed to fully assess J’s needs before deciding which elements of support they were responsible for providing. These faults caused Mrs D stress and frustration and left her with uncertainty about whether J missed out on opportunities to benefit from different support. The ICB and the Council have agreed to actions to address the injustice.

Gloucestershire County Council (25 021 812)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Assessment and care plan 16-Aug-2026

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision not to disregard a property from its financial assessment to calculate charges for care. There is not enough evidence of fault by the Council to justify investigating.

London Borough of Bromley (25 024 656)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Assessment and care plan 13-Aug-2026

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint because it is late and there are no good reasons why she did not complain to us sooner.

Westminster City Council (26 012 738)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Assessment and care plan 12-Aug-2026

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint alleging Council failings when dealing with his social care needs in 2018 and 2022. This is because the complaint is late and there are insufficient grounds for us to investigate.

Reading Borough Council (25 016 228)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Assessment and care plan 12-Aug-2026

Summary: Mr X complained the Council failed to recognise his role as an unpaid carer and did not provide a carer’s assessment or support. We cannot investigate this complaint as Mr X has sought a remedy by proceedings in court.