Summary

A man complains that the council withdrew funding for his mother's care despite knowing no-one had the authority to deal with her financial affairs.

The complaint

The man also complained that the Care Provider, Haresbrook Park Limited (part of the Capital Care Group),  increased the charges for his mother’s care without good reason and failed to deliver the care charged for. He complains the council did not intervene effectively to ensure it paid the increased charge or challenge the price increase

Finding

The Ombudsman upheld the complaint and found fault causing injustice

Recommendations

To remedy the injustice caused the council has agreed to:

• apologise to the man for the failings identified in this investigation;
• pay him £1,000 in recognition of the distress caused by its actions;
• arrange with the Care Provider for it to re-issue invoices for the care provided to the mother for the period 1 March 2015 to the date of her death in August 2015 removing the £700 charge made for one-to-one care; it should ensure whatever credit appears on the account is refunded to the mother's estate (it is a matter between the Care Provider and the Council whether the Care Provider refunds the council any money in turn).

In addition the council should demonstrate it has learnt lessons from this complaint. We set out some minimum expectations of what those lessons should be in the body of the report below. We recommend the council write to us within three months setting out the action it has taken or proposes to take further to any review it conducts into this matter. 

Ombudsman satisfied with council's response: 25 September 2017.

 

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