Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council (25 006 208)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Direct payments 14-Sep-2025

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s failure to investigate two of the four complaints made by Mr X concerning the care and direct payments relating to his partner, Ms Y. This is because we are unlikely to find sufficient evidence of fault and there may be a more suitable agency better placed.

West Northamptonshire Council (25 003 984)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Direct payments 14-Sep-2025

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about how the Council dealt with a direct payment. We are unlikely to achieve an outcome which would justify an investigation into the fault complained of.

Lancashire County Council (25 003 910)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Direct payments 11-Sep-2025

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision about how a direct payment has been used. There is insufficient evidence of fault to justify an investigation.

Somerset Council (24 012 752)

Statement Upheld Direct payments 10-Sep-2025

Summary: Mrs Y complained the Council delayed in providing the care and support her terminally ill husband needed. She also says the Council failed to ensure he had uninterrupted access to bathroom facilities following a mistake with the installation of a Council funded stairlift. We find there was delay by the Council in assessing Mr Y. We also find that errors with the stairlift installation caused avoidable distress. The Council has agreed to apologise and make a symbolic payment of £500 for the distress caused.

Oxfordshire County Council (24 018 295)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Direct payments 09-Sep-2025

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about flexibility of meeting adult social care needs. It is unlikely we would find enough evidence of fault given the Council did suggest many options. Although the complainant says they were not suitable it is unlikely we would settle that dispute. An Ombudsman investigation is therefore unlikely to achieve a different outcome.

Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council (24 012 946)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Direct payments 09-Sep-2025

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint the Council ended direct payments for his daughters’ care and support without following the correct process. This is because the issues could reasonably be or have been mentioned as part of legal proceedings on a closely related matter.

Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council (24 016 885)

Statement Upheld Direct payments 04-Sep-2025

Summary: Mr X complained about the Council’s decision to end direct payments to his relative Mr Z. There was no fault in the way the Council reached its decision. There was fault in its communication with Mr Z and in its failure to ensure there was a proper coordinated handover of care. The Council has agreed to apologise and make a payment to Mr Z to acknowledge the uncertainty and distress this caused him. The Council also failed to properly explore Mr Z’s request for a day centre and Mr and Mrs X’s request for respite. It has agreed to apologise to Mr and Mrs X for the uncertainty caused, review Mr Z’s care needs assessment and carry out new carer’s assessments of Mr and Mrs X.

Cheshire East Council (24 017 993)

Statement Upheld Direct payments 04-Sep-2025

Summary: Mrs X complained the Council produced backdated billing for her sister’s care charges because it states she overpaid her carers. Mrs X also complained the Council started to charge client contributions towards her sister’s care. And, Mrs X complained about the handling of her complaint. We found fault with the Council applying top-up fees for Mrs X’s sisters care. We also found fault with the Council delaying in billing Mrs X’s sister for her client contributions. During our investigation, the Council accepted fault for charging top-up fees and agreed to remove these. The Council has also advised it is only backdating charges to 2021 rather than 2017 for the client contributions. I consider the Council’s actions suitably address the injustice caused through its fault. The Council has also agreed to apologise to Mrs X for the distress its actions caused and confirm in writing the remaining balance owed.

West Berkshire Council (24 014 783)

Statement Upheld Direct payments 04-Sep-2025

Summary: Ms K was managing a direct payment for her daughter. She complains the Council failed to ensure her parents, who were carers for her daughter, received redundancy pay. We have upheld the complaint as the Council did not properly keep the direct payments under review. The Council has now agreed to make the redundancy payments, which in our view is a suitable remedy.

Buckinghamshire Council (25 003 262)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Direct payments 01-Sep-2025

Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about the support provided to her as a carer between 2020 and 2023 and during recent legal proceedings. Part of the complaint is late and we cannot investigate matters related to court proceedings.