Cheshire East Council (24 019 064)

Statement Not upheld Assessment and care plan 16-Dec-2025

Summary: Ms X complains the Council’s Adult Social Care services failed in its duty of care despite a safeguarding concern and adult needs assessment to help her in a dispute with her housing provider. We have found no evidence of fault in the way the Council considered these matters. So, we have completed our investigation.

Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council (24 020 734)

Statement Upheld Assessment and care plan 16-Dec-2025

Summary: There was fault by the Council. It did not act soon enough to resolve Mrs X’s risk of social isolation when she had to live in part of a care home without other residents. Her son, Mr Y has acted on her behalf and this caused him distress. The Council is now regularly reviewing Mrs X’s care needs, and has increased her opportunities to socialise. The Council should also apologise to Mr Y for its lack of more urgent action.

London Borough of Islington (25 000 077)

Statement Upheld Assessment and care plan 16-Dec-2025

Summary: Ms C complained about the Council’s handling of an occupational therapy assessment and support for her family. The Council’s accepted fault for causing delays and how it communicated with her. It was also at fault for causing delays in its complaints handling. The Council’s apology and proposed remedy was not enough to acknowledge the inconvenience and uncertainty she experienced. The Council will therefore make an increased symbolic payment.

Danforth Care No. 1 Limited (25 004 224)

Statement Upheld Residential care 16-Dec-2025

Summary: Ms X complained about poor service during her respite stay at Heatherton House, and the care provider’s failure to escalate her concerns. She left early due to the undue distress caused. Ms X received a partial refund for the unused days since making the complaint to us. The evidence shows there was fault in the service, which the care provider acknowledged in its stage 1 response. Following our enquiries, the care provider offered a full refund for the whole stay, which is an appropriate outcome.

Hertfordshire County Council (25 011 044)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Residential care 16-Dec-2025

Summary: We will not investigate a complaint about a failure to tell a woman’s family when she died. Services provided coherent explanations for why they did not contact anyone. It is unlikely that an investigation would be able to find evidence of fault.

Lancashire County Council (25 011 375)

Statement Upheld Assessment and care plan 16-Dec-2025

Summary: There was no fault in the way the Council placed Mr X’s mother Mrs Y in a care home. The Council commissioned care home was at fault of the delay in changing Mrs Y’s GP. The Council has agreed to apologise and make a payment to acknowledge the uncertainty and frustration this caused and to remind the care home to change GP registrations as soon as possible.

London Borough of Brent (24 021 623)

Statement Upheld Charging 15-Dec-2025

Summary: Mr X complained the Council has charged Mrs Y for more care hours than she received each week. He also complained that the care provider did not provide the agreed level of support. We found the errors and lack of clarity in the way the Council billed Mrs Y is fault. As was the failure to ensure Mrs Y consistently received the agreed level of care. These faults have caused Mrs Y and Mr X an injustice. Mrs Y did not receive the care she needed and had paid for. The Council will apologise and make payments to Mrs Y and Mr X. It will also review Mrs X’s care charges and its monitoring arrangements.

Essex County Council (24 022 753)

Statement Upheld Charging 15-Dec-2025

Summary: Miss X complained on behalf of her late mother, Mrs Y, about the Council’s handling of care charges while Mrs Y was in residential care. Miss X complains the Council failed to provide information about care charges in a timely manner and invoiced Mrs Y for increased care charges without prior discussion. Miss X says the Council’s actions caused significant avoidable distress. We found fault by the Council. The Council has agreed to provide an apology and a financial remedy and make service improvements.

Essex County Council (24 023 221)

Statement Upheld Charging 15-Dec-2025

Summary: Miss X complained the Council failed to provide full information regarding Mrs Y’s care home fees or to explain that Mrs Y would be responsible for the cost of 1 to 1 care in addition to the standard care home charges. We found the Council’s failure properly explain how much Mrs Y would be charged for her care, or for what period of time is fault. The Council’s failure to identify a suitable nursing home for Mrs Y is also fault. These faults meant Miss X received an unexpected substantial bill for Mrs Y’s care which caused Mrs Y’s family shock and distress. The Council will apologise and make a symbolic payment to Mrs Y’s family.

Newcastle upon Tyne City Council (24 023 457)

Statement Not upheld Assessment and care plan 15-Dec-2025

Summary: Mrs X complained the Council wrongly refused to put in place 24-hour live at home care, failed to consider her wishes about staying at home, imposed agency care every fourth week and failed to consider employment law when allowing Ms Y to provide 24-hour care. There is no evidence of fault by the Council.