Service improvements

Cheshire East Council

Showing service improvements between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2027

Find out more about service improvements

When we find fault, we can recommend improvements to systems and processes where they haven’t worked properly, so that others do not suffer from these same problems in future. Common examples are policy changes; procedural reviews; and staff training. Service improvements from decisions are published for 5 years and those from reports are published for 10 years.

Showing 1 - 10 of 14 cases with service improvements

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Downloads the current filtered list of service improvement decisions for Cheshire East Council as a CSV file.

  • Cheshire East Council (25 006 085)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 13-Apr-2026

    Summary

    Ms H complained about the support her father received from a care home commissioned by the Council, and how they communicated with her. She said as a result he did not receive enough equipment, missed out on NHS funding, and she experienced distress. We did not find fault by the Council on the substantive parts of the complaint. However, there was some fault in the communication with Ms H which was not timely or clear. The Council will apologise to her to acknowledge the distress and uncertainty this caused.

    Service improvements

    The Council will share this decision with the care home for it to review how it can ensure communication with relatives is clear. This includes when referrals are made or outcomes are known, and may also include guidance on who a relative can approach if they disagree with decisions made by other bodies.

  • Cheshire East Council (25 002 898)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 19-Mar-2026

    Summary

    Ms X complained about the Council’s handling of Mr Y’s care charges and financial assessment. She also complained about the Council’s delay in discharging Mr Y from respite care, and said it failed to explain why he could not go home after the initial six-week reablement period. The Council is at fault for delay in making an occupational therapy referral. It is also at fault for the way it communicated with Ms X about the charges. This caused avoidable uncertainty and distress. The Council has agreed to apologise, make a payment, and make a service improvement.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to send written reminders to relevant staff of the importance of providing clear information about charging and the financial assessment process to service users. In line with the Care Act guidance, this information should include what people are likely to pay towards their care and support needs. The Council should ensure they accurately record, in detail, any discussions and advice given around this.

  • Cheshire East Council (24 017 816)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 28-Sep-2025

    Summary

    Mr X complained the Council incorrectly assessed his mother’s disability related expenditure when reviewing her financial assessment linked to care costs. We found fault because the Council applied a blanket approach to the disability related costs it would write off which it should not have done. To remedy the injustice caused, the Council has agreed to apologise to Mr X and his mother, review her financial assessment, update its charging policy and guidance and share this with relevant staff.

    Service improvements

    The Council will review and amend its adult social care non-residential charging policy and any associated disability related expenditure (DRE) documentation or guidance issued to officers. It will do this to reflect there should be no DRE limit equivalent to the amount of disability related benefit a person receives when it writes off DRE in its financial assessments. This will help to ensure it does not fetter its discretion by adopting such a limit.

  • Cheshire East Council (24 017 097)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 09-Sep-2025

    Summary

    There was fault in the way the Agency provided care to Mrs D and in its record keeping. The Council has agreed to apologise, provide a financial remedy and carry out a service improvement.

    Service improvements

    Ask the Agency to remind staff of the regulations and policies regarding record keeping in care provision and medication.

  • Cheshire East Council (24 016 532)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 12-Nov-2025

    Summary

    Ms Y complained on behalf of Miss X that the personal budget in her care plan did not meet her care and support needs. We find the Council at fault for not following the statutory guidance when it completed its assessment and care plan for Miss X, and for inadequate complaint handling. This caused significant distress and uncertainty. The Council has agreed to apologise, make a symbolic payment and make service improvements.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to remind relevant officers of the Council’s duties including: clearly recording eligible needs, identifying any eligible needs being met by a carer, recording the number of hours of care, reviewing care plans in line with the statutory guidance.

  • Cheshire East Council (24 010 821)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 14-Apr-2025

    Summary

    Mr Y complained about the Council’s delay in telling his late mother, Mrs Z, about her care charges and that it calculated her charges incorrectly. The Council was at fault for significant delay. There was no fault in the way it calculated the care charges. The Council has agreed to apologise to Mr Y and make a payment to acknowledge the frustration and uncertainty he was caused. It has also agreed to review the way its finance and social work teams communicate to prevent similar delays in future.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to review its processes to ensure better communication and follow up between social workers and its finance team where it appears that financial assessments may be necessary and are not showing as completed for council funded care and support.

  • Cheshire East Council (23 021 149)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 22-Apr-2025

    Summary

    There was fault in the way the Council carried out a safeguarding enquiry into concerns about a care home. This meant there is uncertainty of what would have happened if the enquiry had been carried out differently. The Council has agreed to apologise, pay a symbolic financial remedy and review its practice.

    Service improvements

    •Review how it responds to safeguarding referrals to ensure that referrals are not missed.

  • Cheshire East Council (23 018 188)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 31-Oct-2024

    Summary

    The complainant says the Council’s assessment of residential care charges is flawed, and it wrongly took safeguarding action. The Council is at fault for not providing proper reasons for some residential care charges and for the way it completed safeguarding. To remedy the anxiety, time and trouble, the errors caused; the Council has agreed to apologise to the complainant and make a symbolic payment. It will also provide clear reasons for its charging decision and make service improvements.

    Service improvements

    The Council should review what happened in the safeguarding process to see whether any changes are needed to ensure as far as possible the same fault does not occur again;The Council should remind staff, and if necessary, provide staff training on the need to give proper reasoned decision when making decisions on a deprivation of capital.

  • Cheshire East Council (23 005 368)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 10-Sep-2024

    Summary

    Mrs K complained the Council and the Integrated Care Board (ICB) stopped paying for Miss D’s housing costs when the property changed to supported housing. She said this resulted in Miss D depleting her savings because she had to pay rent and incurring legal charges as she had to seek specialist legal advice. We found fault in the way the Council and the ICB decided to stop paying for Miss D’s housing costs as her accommodation should have been provided without charge in line with the terms of the Mental Health Act 1983. The legal fees she owes could have been avoided were it not for the faults. The Council and the ICB have agreed to our recommendations and will repay Miss D over £59,000 she paid for rent plus interest and pay her avoidable legal fees. They will also improve their processes and determine if others have been affected in a similar way.

    Service improvements

    The Council will complete a review and determine whether any other residents have been affected in a similar way to Miss D's situation. It will decide whether they have been caused injustice such as being out of pocket and put things right if necessary. It will confirm the out of the review to the Ombudsman detailing what action it has taken.The Council will ensure all staff whose responsibilities may include administering, commissioning, assessing for or providing section 117 aftercare have knowledge of the relevant law, guidance and policy, as appropriate to their roles. They will provide training as necessary.The Council will remind all its staff involved in this case that the duty to pay for accommodation which is part of section 117 aftercare services is imposed on the Council and relevant health authority until such time they are satisfied a person can be discharged from section 117 and not simply because the status of a property may change to supported living accommodation. It will remind its staff that those entitled to section 117 aftercare accommodation should not be told to claim housing benefit as set out in their joint policy.

  • Cheshire East Council (23 008 396)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 08-Feb-2024

    Summary

    Mr X complained about how the Council looked for a new educational placement for his adult daughter, Ms Y. Mr X also complained about how the Council reviewed Ms Y’s Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan, about how it amended the EHC Plan and about its failure to secure the provision in Ms Y’s EHC Plan. The Council was at fault. Mr X also complained about the supported living placement the Council identified for Ms Y. The Council was not at fault in how it decided the placement could meet Ms Y’s needs but was at fault for moving Ms Y to the placement without a sufficiently lengthy transition or an up-to-date care and support plan. The faults caused Mr X and Ms Y significant injustice. To remedy that injustice, the Council should apologise to Mr X, pay him a total of £9500, issue Ms Y’s amended EHC Plan and make improvements to its practice.

    Service improvements

    This complaint was about a significantly disabled young woman with special educational needs who moved from a specialist school placement into supported living. The transition was too short and its impact worsened by poor communication between the Special Educational Needs and Disability department and the Adult Social Care department. The Council will review this complaint and identify what steps it should take to ensure the departments communicate effectively, particularly when a young person with an Education, Health and Care Plan is moving to an adult social care setting.

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