Nottinghamshire County Council (24 010 774)

Statement Upheld Disabled children 27-May-2025

Summary: Mr B complained the Council delayed in assessing his family’s need for an extra bedroom for their disabled child. He also complained the assessment did not result in it supporting an application for a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) to create an extra bedroom. We upheld the complaint, finding the Council at fault for delay and not sufficiently considering the impact of its proposal that Mr B should use a reception room as a bedroom instead. This caused injustice to Mr B as distress. We also found fault with a procedure the Council currently has in place with Mr B’s local housing authority (a Borough Council) to consider potential DFG applications. The Council accepted these findings and at the end of this statement, we set out the actions it has agreed to improve its service and remedy the injustice caused to Mr B.

Salford City Council (23 015 691)

Statement Upheld Disabled children 27-May-2025

Summary: Ms X complained the Council failed to properly carry out a child in need assessment in 2021 and wrongly declined to carry out assessments in 2022. She complained this led to a long delay in properly assessing their needs as a family and a delay in providing respite support. She also complained there was a delay in providing Direct Payments once support was agreed. A statutory investigation upheld the complaint and achieved a proper assessment for Ms X. We found there was fault by the Council and that there was outstanding injustice that warranted a remedy. We recommended an apology and a payment to recognise the distress and difficult circumstances Ms X was left in while support was not being provided.

Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council (24 022 007)

Statement Upheld Disabled children 21-May-2025

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council failing to escalate Mrs X’s complaint about a failure to arrange payments for support workers properly. Doing so would be unlikely to add to the Council’s own investigation.

Kingston Upon Hull City Council (24 015 537)

Statement Upheld Disabled children 20-May-2025

Summary: The Council failed to investigate Ms X’s complaint using the children’s statutory complaints procedure when it should have done. It also delayed responding to Ms X’s complaint through its corporate complaints procedure. The Council’s faults have caused Ms X avoidable frustration and uncertainty. In recognition of this, the Council has agreed to apologise, pay Ms X £250 and carry out service improvements.

Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council (24 009 166)

Statement Not upheld Disabled children 01-May-2025

Summary: Mrs X complained the Council failed to provide adequate support to her and Mr Y, meaning their needs were not met and causing distress. We do not find the Council at fault for how it considered Mrs X’s complaint as part of the statutory complaints procedure. We will therefore not consider the substantive matter.

London Borough of Enfield (24 021 955)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Disabled children 30-Apr-2025

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about an unsuccessful blue badge application for the complainant’s child. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.

London Borough of Ealing (24 020 033)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Disabled children 29-Apr-2025

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council refusing Mr X’s child a blue badge. There is not enough evidence of fault in the Council’s decision-making to warrant us investigating.

London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham (24 019 648)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Disabled children 21-Apr-2025

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision to reduce a package of care including direct payments to Mr X to assist with his children’s care needs. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault by the Council to justify an investigation, and it would not achieve anything worthwhile now.

Lancashire County Council (24 019 404)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Disabled children 08-Apr-2025

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about the adequacy of Council’s offer to settle a complaint after mediation. The complaint is late and there is no good reason to exercise discretion to consider these matters now.

London Borough of Harrow (24 012 258)

Statement Upheld Disabled children 07-Apr-2025

Summary: Mrs X complained that the Council failed to properly consider her application for a Blue Badge, made on behalf of her seriously ill child. We found the Council was at fault because it did not consider the relevant criteria. This caused Mrs X distress and frustration. To remedy this injustice, the Council has agreed to apologise, make a symbolic payment and take action to improve its service.