Councils must meet all assessed care needs, says Ombudsman People who need care should not be asked to choose which of their needs, identified through an assessment, their council should meet, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has said. An investigation by the Ombudsman found a man was placed in this situation, incurring him more than £17,000 in costs, by Northamptonshire County Coun ...

Councils reminded of their duty to provide alternative education The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman is reminding council school attendance teams that their duty to provide alternative education may arise for reasons other than exclusion and illness. West Sussex County Council has been told to apologise for not considering whether it should provide alternative education and support for ...

Council agrees to review its school transport policy following Ombudsman investigation Sandwell council has agreed to review its school transport policy after the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman found flaws in the way it considered a family’s application for travel support. The parents applied for transport for their son, who has special needs and attends a school more than three miles ...

Disabled woman had care package reduced by more than half following flawed assessment by Bolton council The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has found Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council significantly reduced a disabled woman’s care package without properly assessing her needs. The woman, who is registered blind and has numerous health conditions and disabilities, previously received a ...

City council to review transport policy for adults with special educational needs following Ombudsman investigation A Birmingham mother had to drive five hours a day to take her adult son, who had ‘severe and critical needs’, to his specialist college, because Birmingham City Council did not provide him with transport, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has found. The 20-year-old, who ...

Yearly News 2022 15 Dec 2022 Oxfordshire fails to provide alternative education for a year 14 Dec 2022 Ombudsman’s Annual Report highlights improvements for complainants and local service users The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has published its Annual Report and Accounts 2021-22, which details the success of its work to give more complainants a quicker decision on their case. 08 Dec ...

Homeless Lewisham mother placed in mouldy accommodation near to her abuser – Ombudsman reports Lewisham council has agreed to pay a mother more than £14,000 after it left her in such poorly maintained temporary accommodation that it hospitalised her child. The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman was asked to investigate after the mother claimed the council failed to meet its homelessness d ...

Compacts between councils and civil society organisations This fact sheet is aimed primarily at civil society organisations who are having difficulties with the implementation of a compact agreement with the council and may be considering making a complaint to the Ombudsman. What is a civil society organisation (CSO)? CSOs are bodies such as charities, social enterprises and community groups. Exa ...

Lancashire County Council criticised for failing to support vulnerable children properly Lancashire County Council has been criticised by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman for not providing the right support for two vulnerable siblings when they moved to live with their aunt and uncle. The siblings, who had a turbulent background and had spent time in foster care, became subject to a ...

Liverpool criticised by Ombudsman for failing disabled teenage siblings The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has criticised Liverpool City Council for not ensuring two teenage siblings with significant needs were provided with the support they should have received for 18 months. The siblings, who have multiple disabilities including visual impairments and complex communication needs, bo ...