Cambridgeshire County Council (22 015 467)

Statement Upheld Charging 24-Oct-2023

Summary: Ms X lives in a Care Home and was paying her own fees until she reached the financial threshold. For three months after she reached threshold, the Care Home was overpaid as it received fees from Ms X and the Council. The Care Home refused to refund Ms X. The Care Home has refunded Ms X but her son, Mr Y does not consider the amount is correct. The Ombudsman found the Care Home refunded the correct amount but failed to explain how it calculated the amount, causing Ms X and Mr Y stress.

Nazareth Care Charitable Trust (23 008 024)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Charging 24-Oct-2023

Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about the Care Provider’s failure to carry out a mental health assessment when her aunt, Miss A, went into its care home. The complaint is late. And we will not investigate her complaint about how the Care Provider handled Miss A’s finances. There is insufficient evidence of fault to justify an investigation.

Milton Keynes Council (23 009 031)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Charging 24-Oct-2023

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s failure to provide information about care charges. There is not enough evidence of fault to justify our involvement. We will also not investigate complaints about poor communication. That is because further investigation would not lead to a different outcome.

Northumberland County Council (22 016 881)

Statement Upheld Charging 23-Oct-2023

Summary: Mr X complained on behalf of his wife, Mrs X, about the care provided to her at a residential care home. Mr X also complained about the care charges. We found no fault regarding the care provided to Mrs X but found fault regarding the Council’s care plans and regarding its response to our enquiries. The Council has agreed to provide an apology and a financial remedy to address the injustice identified.

North Somerset Council (23 009 891)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Charging 23-Oct-2023

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council bullying and harassing Mrs B, or the reasons why it informed the DWP in 2021 of financial abuse of Mrs B’s finances. We will not investigate the Council’s failure to ensure Mrs B was properly assessed for Continuing Health Care or Funded Nursing Care when she moved into the home in 2019. This is because we could not add to the Council’s response or make a different finding of the kind Ms C wants.

Buckinghamshire Council (23 008 645)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Charging 22-Oct-2023

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the financial assessment completed for Mrs X’s father. She is unhappy about the amount her father has been assessed as having to pay towards the cost of his care. This is because an investigation would not lead to a different outcome. In addition, there is insufficient evidence of fault.

Lincolnshire County Council (23 009 212)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Charging 22-Oct-2023

Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about the Council inappropriately insisting it needed to be Miss A’s financial appointee and refusing to allow someone from Miss A’s close support network to be her financial appointee. This is because the matter has been considered at Court .

Nottingham City Council (23 004 230)

Statement Upheld Charging 18-Oct-2023

Summary: There was a delay before the Council informed Miss X of charges for care, after she had said clearly she could not afford to pay. Miss X cancelled the care package immediately she found out about the charges. The Council agrees to acknowledge the delay by waiving the charges.

North Yorkshire Council (23 008 828)

Statement Upheld Charging 17-Oct-2023

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council taking monies from Ms B’s account. This is because the Council has agreed to reduce the debt owed by £100, repay the money back into Ms B’s account, apologise for the distress caused, and agreed to send Mr C copies of all invoices and requests for payment. We are satisfied this remedies the injustice caused by the fault.

Care Concern (Frinton) Limited (22 017 489)

Statement Upheld Charging 17-Oct-2023

Summary: Miss C complained the Care Provider failed to give advice and progress Mrs X’s entitlement for Funded Nursing Care. We found the Care Provider at fault for wrongly classifying Mrs X as in residential care and it failed to provide advice and progress her application for Funded Nursing Care. It also caused significant delays in its complaints process. The Care Provider has agreed pay Mrs X’s estate the amount of Funded Nursing Care she was entitled to. It will also apologise and make payment to Miss C to acknowledge the distress its delayed complaints handling caused.