Service improvements

Durham County Council

Showing service improvements between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2026

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 11 - 20 of 21 cases with service improvements

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

  • Durham County Council (23 019 438)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 09-Oct-2024

    Summary

    Mr C complains about the Council’s care charges and increases in care to his brother. The Council is at fault for making changes to a support plan without clarifying the services provided, and providing wrong and delayed invoices. These faults have caused frustration, time, and trouble. To remedy the complaint the Council has agreed to apologise to Mr C, make him a symbolic payment, and provide a detailed amended invoice. It will also make service improvements.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to:a) review the invoicing errors and delays that have occurred in this complaint and provide a plan about what the Council will do to prevent reoccurrence;b) review how this service provider has been monitored and whether the spot checks currently in place for charging are sufficient to prevent future service failure;c) review how the Council advises and invoices people for telecare services to ensure the information and charges are clear;d) remind staff about the importance of recording changes in care packages and providing updated support plans to service users so that there is a clear written record of provided services;e) remind staff about going through services provided when completing a review so that there is a record the person is receiving services both agreed to and paid for.

  • Durham County Council (23 003 726)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 02-Jan-2024

    Summary

    Mrs X complains the Council has failed to provide her with the care and support it has assessed her as needing, causing her distress and putting unreasonable pressure on her husband. The Council was at fault as: it failed to review her care and support plan to make sure her personal budget was enough to meet her needs: left her with little choice but to accept direct payments which she did not want; has failed to meet all her needs since February 2023; did not complete her June 2022 care and support plan properly; and failed to give due regard to her rights under the Human Rights Act 1998 when responding to her complaint. The Council has agreed to apologise, pay financial redress and take action to improve its services.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to identify the action it is going to take to ensure officers understand the Council’s duties under the Care Act 2014 to:a) meet people’s eligible care needsb) increase personal budgets when a cheaper solution cannot be foundc) only provide direct payments if people request themThe Council has agreed to take action to ensure officers take account of people's rights under the Human Rights Act 1998 when responding to complaints.

  • Durham County Council (22 016 416)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 30-Aug-2023

    Summary

    Mr X complained the Council maliciously failed to provide the care and support he needed since 2017. Mr X also complained the Council relied on a risk assessment that was based on inaccurate information and refused to amend it despite knowing the information was incorrect. Mr X said the Council colluded with other agencies to treat him with prejudice and discrimination. The Council failed to provide the reablement care it assessed that Mr X needed for six weeks in October 2022. There is no evidence this was done with any malicious intent. There is no fault in how the Council considered and updated its risk assessment. The Council agreed to apologise to Mr X and pay him a symbolic amount of £300 to recognise the distress the missed reablement caused him.

    Service improvements

    The Council was unable to procure a care provider to meet a man's reablement care needs. The Council will review its care commissioning arrangements and create an action plan of the actions it will take to improve the availability of care providers. It will provide the Ombudsman with a copy of the action plan.

  • Durham County Council (22 008 257)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 10-Mar-2023

    Summary

    Mrs T complained the Council said her mother, Mrs X, would not have to pay for her stay in a care home. Mrs T stated the Council completed a financial assessment a year later and charged Mrs X retrospectively. Mrs T said the Council failed to consider if Mrs X could afford to pay the charges. The Council failed to conduct a financial assessment in line with the statutory guidance and failed to tell Mrs T about Mrs X’s contributions for eleven months. The Council agreed to write off the charges until the date of the financial assessment and apologise to Mrs T for the distress it caused.

    Service improvements

    The Council will ensure it tells relevant officers to provide information leaflets on charging to people receiving adult social care at the earliest opportunity, even where a financial assessment will be delayed.

  • Durham County Council (22 005 552)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 10-Mar-2023

    Summary

    Mr X complained about a lack of guidance and information from the Council about the charges for his late mother’s care at a care home. The Council was at fault for the delay in providing information about care charges and in carrying out a financial assessment. This meant Mr X received a large and unexpected care bill and Mrs Y was unable to make an informed decision about her care. The Council has agreed to apologise and write off some of the care charges. It has also agreed to ensure financial information is provided to care home residents at the point of assessment.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to ensure clear information, in writing, is provided about the potential for future care charges by the Council’s hospital based social workers when patients are discharged into residential care from hospital.The Council has agreed to ensure the factsheet on charging for residential care is provided at the same time as the Council carries out a needs assessment for residential care so that people are made aware of the potential charges as soon as possible.

  • Durham County Council (21 019 049)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 24-Nov-2022

    Summary

    Mrs X complained on behalf of Mr Y about how the Council handled Mr Y’s care charges. There was fault by the Council in how it delayed changing and informing Mrs X about Mr Y’s increased contributions. The Council also failed to explain Mr Y’s revised charges to Mrs X in a timely manner. This caused Mrs X uncertainty, confusion and the time and trouble chasing and complaining to the Council. The Council will take action to remedy the injustice caused.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to:•provide the Ombudsman with evidence of the Council’s implementation of its new online financial assessments after its introduction in April 2023 (next financial year)•provide the Ombudsman with an explanation and evidence of how the Council will monitor the performance of its new online financial assessment process to ensure service users are notified of any changes in their care fees contributions in a timely manner.

  • Durham County Council (21 007 640)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 29-Mar-2022

    Summary

    Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust clearly communicated Mr P’s dementia diagnosis but did not develop a care and support plan for him. We also consider Durham County Council’s poor communication with Mr P’s wife, Mrs P, about his care and support leaves her uncertain if Mr P would have received different care and support before he died.

    Service improvements

    The Council should ensure relevant staff are aware of the importance of effective communication with service users and carers, regarding decisions about their care and support.

  • Durham County Council (21 002 373)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 07-Dec-2021

    Summary

    We upheld Mrs X’s complaint about her late father’s care in a council-funded care home. The failings in care were neglect. The Council will apologise, make a symbolic payment and take action described in this statement to minimise the risk of recurrence.

    Service improvements

    The Council will ensure the Care Home reviews and revises relevant procedures so that in future a resident receives close observation for an appropriate period of time following a physical altercation involving another resident.

  • Durham County Council (20 012 077)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 13-Oct-2021

    Summary

    There were some failures in the care provider’s care and treatment of Mr X which may have caused Mr X’s weight loss and poor hygiene. The Council (which commissioned the care) has apologised where there were failings. To remedy the injustice arising from the commissioned care provider’s failings, the Council agrees to offer Mr X a sum proportionate to the distress caused to him. Mr X has now left the home.

    Service improvements

    The Council has taken steps to improve its procedures and will confirm to the LGSCO that the steps taken are satisfactory in terms of its contract monitoring.

  • Durham County Council (20 005 046)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 01-Jul-2021

    Summary

    Ms C complained the Council has failed to meet her needs. The hours the Council allocated are not enough and she has not had support from a care agency since April 2020. The Ombudsman found fault with the actions of the Council. The Council has agreed to pay Ms C £3,640 for not receiving support since April 2020, and share the lessons learned with its staff.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to share the lessons learned around assessing fluctuating care needs, with relevant adult social care staff and assessors.The Council will also inform the Ombudsman of the wider audit it is carrying out in the way care agency B has invoiced the Council.

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