Halton did not do enough to help homeless domestic abuse survivor Halton Borough Council did not do enough to help a man who approached it for help when he became homeless because of domestic abuse, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has found. Instead, it closed his case without telling him why or giving him the chance to appeal the decision. The man first approached the council for ...

Ombudsman raps council for taking too long to change care home charging policy A Lincolnshire family has been forced to complain to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman for the second time about the way a relative’s care home fees were charged because the county council failed to improve its policies quickly enough. The woman had already complained to the Ombudsman in 2017 after the cou ...

Council fails to provide family with respite care for too long, ombudsman says Redcar and Cleveland Council failed to provide respite care for the family of a boy with complex special educational needs which include Autism, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has found. The mother of the boy, who herself has Autism and other medical conditions, complained that the council failed to pro ...

West Sussex removed care transport for disabled adult without proper consideration - Ombudsman West Sussex County Council will be inviting people to get in touch if they think the council's assessment of their needs has left them unable to access their day centre. This comes after the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman highlighted concerns about how the council considered a family’s trave ...

Councils that conduct needs assessments This fact sheet is aimed primarily at people and their carers who have problems concerning needs assessments and may be considering making a complaint to the Ombudsman. I am unhappy about the way in which the council has carried out my needs assessment. Can the Ombudsman help me? In some cases, yes. We cannot question the merits of decisions, or professiona ...

Suffolk to apologise to family for failing to educate girl for 18 months Suffolk County Council has not done enough to provide an education to a young girl with special educational needs, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has found. The Ombudsman’s investigation found the council failed to provide alternative education to the girl, who has autism, between March 2022 and September 202 ...

County man forced to live in car because of council errors A Shropshire man was homeless for too long because the council did not understand its responsibilities towards him, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has found. The man approached the council when he became homeless in the autumn of 2021, and he was provided with interim accommodation. However, the man soon moved out as he sa ...

Councils that arrange and fund residential care placements This fact sheet is aimed mainly at people who are having problems with their own, or a relative's, residential care and may be thinking about complaining to the Ombudsman. I am unhappy about the way the council has assessed my care needs and organised residential care for me. Can the Ombudsman help me? Sometimes, yes. The Ombudsman cannot ...

Footpaths and rights of way This fact sheet is aimed primarily at people who have problems related to footpaths and rights of way that they regularly use, or which cross their property, and who may be considering making a complaint to the Ombudsman. Rights of way can include footpaths, bridleways and byways open to all traffic. I am unhappy about the way the council is dealing with a disputed foo ...

Clarity for councils about way Ombudsman will investigate financial assessment complaints Councils can now be clear about the way the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman will investigate complaints about financial assessments involving personal injury awards, after an application for a judicial review was thrown out by the High Court. The clarification comes after Wokingham Borough Council ...