London Borough of Ealing (19 017 276)
Summary: Ms X complained about the care provided to her mother, Mrs M by a domiciliary care agency acting on behalf of the Council and the subsequent safeguarding investigation carried out by the Council.
Finding
The Ombudsman upheld the complaint and found fault causing injustice.
Recommendations
To remedy the injustice identified, the Council has agreed to:
- apologise to Ms X for the faults we have identified in this investigation; and
- pay her £1,000 to acknowledge the unnecessary and enduring distress, uncertainty, frustration and time and trouble the faults we have identified caused her.
- provide feedback to the Care Agency on the outcome of this investigation;
- consider its continuing working relationship with the Care Agency and determine what checks need to be in place, together with Care Agency staff training, to ensure confidence that the Agency is meeting the fundamental standards of care;
- ensure relevant staff at the Council are aware that care plans for people with pressure sores include details of the care required to manage them; and
- ensure relevant staff at the Council are aware of the procedures and timescales for carrying out safeguarding investigations and consider where further training is required.
Ombudsman satisfied with Council's response: 10 February 2022.