Sheffield City Council (20 000 246)

Statement Upheld Residential care 15-Jan-2021

Summary: Ms B complained the Council failed to involve her as next of kin or take account of her father’s wishes when placing him in a care home. Ms B complained the Council placed her father in an inappropriate placement, delayed meeting with her father to discuss his wishes, delayed completing a deprivation of liberty application, delayed completing a mental capacity assessment, failed to hold a best interests meeting, failed to carry out a safeguarding investigation and delayed completing an assessment when he was ready for discharge from hospital. The Council delayed meeting Ms B’s father and in carrying out a mental capacity assessment and safeguarding investigation. There is no fault in the other parts of the complaint. The Council’s delay is caused Ms B distress and created some uncertainty about whether the outcome would have been different. An apology and payment to Ms B, along with an action plan is satisfactory remedy.

Sheffield City Council (19 020 639)

Statement Upheld Parking and other penalties 20-Jan-2021

Summary: Mr B rents a garage from the Council. He complains that it failed to consult tenants before removing parking enforcement in 2016 and failed to monitor and enforce parking in the area since then. He also says the Council wrongly issued him with notices to quit. We have not investigated these complaints because they are outside our jurisdiction. Mr B also complains that the Council completed a flawed consultation on a Traffic Regulation Order. We find the Council was at fault in that it put an incorrect response date in its consultation letter and put up notices late. However, these faults did not cause Mr B a significant injustice.

Sheffield City Council (20 002 945)

Statement Upheld Covid-19 12-Feb-2021

Summary: Mr B complained the Council did not carry out his son’s school admissions appeal correctly. Mr B complained the Council did not give his son a place at the same school as his sibling and this caused the family distress and inconvenience. The Council delayed sending notice of the hearing but there was no fault with the hearing itself. The Council’s fault did not cause Mr B significant injustice.

Sheffield City Council (19 020 813)

Statement Upheld Assessment and care plan 15-Feb-2021

Summary: Ms X complained the Council delayed providing a care package for her adult son. The Council was at fault. It took too long, failed to properly consider whether to award transport costs, failed to review the plan and inappropriately questioned a prospective personal assistant as part of the process. It has agreed to apologise and make payments to Ms X and her son to acknowledge the frustration and distress this caused. It has also agreed to review the care package.

Sheffield City Council (20 004 908)

Statement Upheld Transport 24-Feb-2021

Summary: There is evidence of fault in this complaint. The Council failed to undertake an adequate assessment of Mrs X’s mobility in considering her application for a renewal of a concessionary travel pass.

Sheffield City Council (20 007 278)

Statement Upheld School admissions 05-Mar-2021

Summary: Mr D complains about an unsuccessful admissions appeal. We uphold the complaint, there is fault with the way the appeal was conducted by the panel members. This causes uncertainty as the outcome of the appeal might otherwise have been different. The Council has agreed to arrange and hold a fresh appeal.

Sheffield City Council (19 015 370)

Statement Upheld Assessment and care plan 08-Mar-2021

Summary: The Ombudsmen find there was an extensive avoidable delay in the Council assessing two young adults’ needs and producing a support plan for their care at home. This situation caused their mother significant avoidable stress which is an injustice. The Council has agreed to apologise, make a payment to recognise the injustice and to take steps to learn from the case and prevent recurrences.