Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council (23 013 968)

Statement Upheld Assessment and care plan 01-Apr-2024

Summary: There was a delay in completing a financial assessment which caused avoidable confusion, uncertainty and the shock of a large first bill. The Council has already reduced the bill and apologised, which is a partial remedy. It will offer a repayment plan and ensure there are enough staff to complete financial assessments without delay.

Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council (23 010 850)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 02-May-2024

Summary: Mr and Mrs X complain about how the Council handled their daughter, S’s, Education, Health and Care Plan provision. They say it delayed putting provision in place to ensure S’s needs were met. This meant that S was left with little educational and therapeutic provision for longer than necessary. Mr and Mrs X would like the Council to apologise for the delays and pay them for the distress its actions have caused. We found the Council was at fault for the delays in the assessment process. The Council agreed to our recommendations and will address the injustice its actions caused to Mr and Mrs X as well as S.

Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council (23 015 456)

Statement Upheld Refuse and recycling 04-Jun-2024

Summary: Miss D says the Council repeatedly missed waste collections at her home. We have found evidence of fault by the Council and upheld the complaint. We completed the investigation because the Council agrees to take action including paying Miss D redress.

Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council (23 014 389)

Statement Upheld Charging 18-Jun-2024

Summary: Miss C complained on behalf of her father, Mr D that the Council had not provided clear and transparent information about the likely level of the contribution he would have to make towards his care charges before he agreed to a care package and then delayed in completing the financial assessment. We found the Council did not provide clear enough information about the likely level of the contribution and took 12 weeks to confirm the amount, causing a large debt to build up. The Council has agreed to pay £1000 to Mr D which can be offset against the outstanding amount, to agree an affordable repayment plan for the remaining debt and to improve its procedures for the future.

Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council (24 002 949)

Statement Upheld Charging 20-Aug-2024

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the cost of adult social care. The Council failed to explain why the reablement team was involved in this case and to clarify that it was not free. The Council also delayed completing its financial assessment and confirming the costs of the care. It has apologised for the upset and confusion and waived £100 from the bill. We are satisfied with the actions it has taken to acknowledge the impact of its fault. If there was no fault the full bill would be due.

Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council (24 000 679)

Statement Upheld Assessment and care plan 16-Sep-2024

Summary: Summary: Mr X complains on behalf of his father the Council failed to complete an assessment in the allocated time which led to him being in an unsuitable setting. Mr X says his family were charged for one-to-one care which he does not believe they should have been. Mr X says this has caused his family distress and they have incurred costs they shouldn’t have. We have found fault in the actions of the Council for failing to advise the likely costs of the care. We recommend the Council apologises and pays a financial payment to Mr X.

Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council (23 016 084)

Statement Upheld Alternative provision 13-Oct-2024

Summary: Miss X complained the Council did not deliver appropriate education to her son after his exclusion from college and that its communication was poor. We found fault because the Council failed to adequately consider its statutory duties, consult with other providers in a timely manner or communicate with Miss X appropriately. Miss X suffered avoidable frustration and distress and her son missed out on some of the education he should have received. To remedy the injustice caused by this fault, the Council has agreed to apologise, make a payment to Miss X, issue reminders and guidance to relevant staff and consider reviewing some of its policies and procedures.

Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council (23 021 366)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 14-Nov-2024

Summary: Delay by the Council amending B’s Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan and finding a new school meant he was without a full-time school place for almost four terms. He received some alternative provision for much of this time, but we have no way of knowing whether this was enough. The Council has agreed a remedy.

Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council (24 010 748)

Statement Upheld Disabled facilities grants 18-Dec-2024

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about a disabled facilities grant. Part of the complaint is late without good enough reason to investigate it now. More recent events have not caused significant enough unremedied injustice to warrant us investigating. It is unlikely an investigation would achieve significantly more.

Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council (23 020 343)

Statement Upheld Alternative provision 15-Jan-2025

Summary: Miss X complained the Council failed to provide her child, Y, with a suitable full-time education when they could not attend school, delayed issuing Y’s Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan in line with statutory timescales and handled her complaint poorly. The Council was at fault when it delayed issuing Y’s EHC Plan, failed to properly consider the education Y received between mid-February 2023 and mid-June 2024 and delayed responding to Miss X’s complaint. The Council will apologise for the uncertainty this caused Miss X, make a symbolic payment to acknowledge the distress, frustration and uncertainty caused and provide service improvements.