West Northamptonshire Council (22 009 742)

Statement Upheld Other 29-Apr-2024

Summary: Miss D complained about the lack of mental health and social care provided to her son, Mr B, when he was discharged from hospital. She said this led to a lack of joint working between the Council, the Trust and the Integrated Care Board (ICB). She said they did not make reasonable adjustments when communicating with Mr B. Miss D also complained about the way the ICB handled her complaint. We found fault in the way they organisations considered and provided support to meet Mr B’s holistic mental health and social care needs. They did not properly consider their duty to make reasonable adjustments when communicating with him. The ICB’s complaint handling was poor, and it failed to provide Miss D with a satisfactory complaint response. The organisations agreed to our recommendations and will apologise to Miss D and Mr B, they will make symbolic payments, assess Mr B’s holistic needs and issue guidance to their staff in areas where they need to improve.

West Northamptonshire Council (23 018 105)

Statement Upheld Council tax 03-Jun-2024

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about Council tax payments as the matter has been remedied.

West Northamptonshire Council (23 004 887)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 17-Jun-2024

Summary: Mrs C complained that the Council failed to provide the support for her daughter D, detailed in her Education, Health and Care Plan. We found fault with the Council’s actions. The Council has already made significant payments to Mrs C to recognise the lost provision and some of the private support Mrs C has provided in the interim. The Council has agreed to apologise, to increase the payments, to consider reimbursing any costs Mrs C incurred for Speech and Language Therapy and to provide an update on progress with its service improvements.

West Northamptonshire Council (23 017 934)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 27-Jun-2024

Summary: We uphold complaints about delay in Y’s Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment and Plan, mainly caused by a shortage of Educational Psychologists. We also uphold complaints about poor communication by Children’s Social Care. The Council will write an apology and make payments to reflect the delay, loss of special educational provision and distress caused by poor communication. The Council will provide us with a written report of the progress it has made on reducing the backlog of cases.

West Northamptonshire Council (23 016 399)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 09-Jul-2024

Summary: Mrs X complained the Council has delayed in carrying out an Education, Health, and Care needs assessment and in issuing a EHC Plan for her son. The Council’s delay in the EHC Plan process and in issuing a final Plan are fault. This fault has caused Mrs X an injustice which the Council has now remedied.

West Northamptonshire Council (23 014 059)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 11-Jul-2024

Summary: Mrs M complains the Council delayed its assessment of her son’s Education, Health and Care needs. It also gave confusing advice and delayed funding 1:1 care her son’s nursery said he needed. And it did not copy her into all communications, as she had requested. We uphold the complaint. The Council has agreed to our recommendations.

West Northamptonshire Council (23 015 382)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 17-Jul-2024

Summary: Mrs B complained the Council delayed in completing an Education, Health and Care assessment and failed to meet the statutory timeframe for issuing an Education, Health and Care Plan for her child, X. Mrs B says this caused distress for X and the family. We have found the Council at fault. The Council has agreed to provide staff training and make a payment to remedy the injustice caused by the faults identified.

West Northamptonshire Council (24 003 517)

Statement Upheld Looked after children 04-Aug-2024

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s care of a Looked After Child. The Council has agreed to investigate the complaint through the statutory children’s complaints procedure. It would not be proportionate for us to investigate.

West Northamptonshire Council (23 016 921)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 13-Aug-2024

Summary: Miss B complained that the Council delayed in issuing an amended Education, Health and Care Plan following an emergency review in November 2022, communicated poorly with Miss B and failed to provide C with any alternative education when he stopped attending school at the end of April 2023. We found fault with the Council. It has agreed to apologise to Miss B, pay her £3,300 and improve its procedures for the future.

West Northamptonshire Council (23 014 240)

Statement Upheld Disabled facilities grants 20-Aug-2024

Summary: Mr X complained the Council failed to follow its complaints procedure when dealing with his complaints about a disabled facilities grant for his parents or make reasonable adjustments for his dyslexia and autism. Mr X says he suffered avoidable stress and could not engage properly in the processes to resolve his complaint. We have found fault by the Council in some of its communication but consider the agreed action of an apology provides a suitable outcome.