Staffordshire County Council (23 011 353)

Statement Upheld Charging 02-Apr-2024

Summary: There is fault by the Council. It took too long to do a financial assessment. It cannot show that it made sure Mrs D understood that her mother-in-law would have to contribute to the care home charges, as well as the family pay a third party top up. It is likely that this impacted on the choice of home and led to distress when the Council sent an unexpected bill.

Staffordshire County Council (23 013 553)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 06-May-2024

Summary: Mr and Mrs X complained about the Council’s handling of an early annual review of their child’s (Y’s) Education, Health, and Care Plan. We find avoidable delay and poor communication by the Council which caused Mr and Mrs X uncertainty, frustration and distress. The Council has already instigated measures to prevent recurrence which is a partial remedy. It should also apologise and make a symbolic payment to reflect injustice caused to Mr and Mrs X.

Staffordshire County Council (23 012 995)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 08-May-2024

Summary: Ms X complained the Council delayed issuing an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan for her grandson (C), which means he does not have a place at a Special School. Ms X also said the Councils complaint response has been poor. The Council is at fault for delay in assessing C’s needs and issuing an EHC Plan. This has caused the family uncertainty.

Staffordshire County Council (23 012 001)

Statement Upheld Direct payments 15-May-2024

Summary: Mrs X complained about the way the Council deal with a review of her daughter’s care and how it responded to her complaint about the matter. She also complained the Council failed to provide respite support and paid Direct Payments at the wrong rate for a number of years. We found there was fault by the Council. This was compounded by failings in the way it responded to Mrs X. The Council took some action to address the impact. We recommended the Council provided a written apology, made a distress payment and reimbursed her solicitors fees.

Staffordshire County Council (23 020 332)

Statement Upheld Assessment and care plan 21-May-2024

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about delays in financial assessment and delays in invoicing for adult social care. The Council accepts fault, has apologised, offered to pay £100, and offered a repayment plan for the debt if needed. We are satisfied with the actions the Council has taken to acknowledge the impact of its fault. It is unlikely an Ombudsman investigation would achieve anything further.

Staffordshire County Council (23 008 035)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 27-May-2024

Summary: Miss X complained the Council had not secured all the special educational or social care provision in her child, B’s, Education, Health and Care Plan. The Council was at fault, which meant B missed out on provision they were entitled to. This caused Miss X distress, frustration and uncertainty. To remedy their injustice, the Council will apologise and pay Miss X a total of £5000. To prevent similar fault in future, the Council will issue a staff reminder and identify if flaws in its practice led to some of the fault. The Council will also apologise to the people who have been waiting too long for their complaint responses.

Staffordshire County Council (23 007 574)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 29-May-2024

Summary: Mrs X complained the Council failed to maintain her daughter, Y’s, Education Health and Care plan. We found evidence of fault by the Council because it failed to provide Y with the provision in her Education Health and Care plan, failed to review the plan in accordance with statutory timescales or in response to a change in Y’s circumstances and did not communicate with Mrs X. The Council agreed to apologise and make payments in recognition of the injustice caused to Mrs X and Y.

Staffordshire County Council (23 009 050)

Statement Upheld Assessment and care plan 30-May-2024

Summary: Mr B complains about the Council’s delayed assessment of his son’s needs when he moved from children to adult care services. Mr B also complains the assessment itself did not involve them. And the Council tried to force him to take a direct payment. The Council also delayed responding to his complaint. Our decision is there was fault by the Council. The Council has agreed to our recommendations for remedies it should make.

Staffordshire County Council (23 011 122)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 10-Jun-2024

Summary: Mrs X complained the Council failed to amend her son, Y’s, Education and Health Care Plan within statutory timescales, to provide a personal budget and appropriate education for him between December 2022 and September 2023. We find there was a delay in issuing an amended Plan following an annual review and failure to provide the provision in Y’s Education and Health Care Plan. The Council has agreed to apologise and make financial payments to remedy the injustice caused to Y and Mrs X.

Staffordshire County Council (23 012 191)

Statement Upheld Assessment and care plan 10-Jun-2024

Summary: the Council failed to act promptly to ensure Mrs X’s son D received an early referral for NHS funding of his needs. As a result there was a delay of nine months between the review meeting which agreed his needs and the funding being made available, while Mrs X continued to pay for his support. The Council will explain how it has reviewed its processes since then, apologise to Mrs X and offer a sum which recognises the distress caused to her and to D over that time.