Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council (23 010 877)

Statement Upheld Domiciliary care 02-May-2024

Summary: The Council failed to properly respond to Ms X’s concerns about the care her sister received from a care agency acting on behalf of the Council. This led to a prolonged period of short care visits and significant frustration for Ms X. The Council also failed to deal with Ms X’s concerns about overcharging for care services. The Council has implemented widespread changes in response to this complaint.

Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council (23 012 877)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 11-Jun-2024

Summary: There was no fault in the way the Council discharged its duty to secure educational provision for a child who had been excluded from school. The Council was at fault for a delay in issuing an amended education, health and care plan for him, but this did not cause any injustice beyond some frustration for the complainant, for which the Council has already apologised. The Council was also at fault because it failed to recognise it had issued an earlier version of the education, health and care plan, but we cannot investigate the consequences of this because it is outside our jurisdiction. We have therefore completed our investigation.

Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council (24 000 903)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 31-Jul-2024

Summary: Miss X complains the Council has failed to issue an Education Health Care Plan for her daughter, Y, within the statutory timescales. Miss X says this has caused her and her family distress and frustration. We have found fault in the Councils actions for failing to issue Y’s Education Health Care Plan within the statutory timescales. The Council has agreed to apologise, issue Y’s final Education Health Care Plan and make a financial payment.

Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council (23 009 985)

Statement Upheld Residential care 04-Aug-2024

Summary: There was fault by the Council and a care home it commissioned: Mrs Y was deprived of her liberty without an authorisation, there was a failure to involve her attorney in a best interest meeting to decide on a new placement, a complaint response lacked detail and a private contract should not have been issued. This caused avoidable confusion, frustration and distress. The Council will apologise and make symbolic payments. It will also review procedures for assessing cases referred for deprivation of liberty assessments to ensure these take place within the required legal timeframes.

Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council (24 007 394)

Statement Upheld Refuse and recycling 24-Sep-2024

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the storage of a bin by a neighbour and the provision of two bins without charge. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault regarding the storage issue and because the Council will provide two bins as requested.

Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council (24 003 646)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 09-Oct-2024

Summary: Mr X complains the Council has not properly dealt with his housing priority. The Council is at fault because it did not record how it made its decision. Mr X suffered uncertainty and avoidable distress. The Council should record its decision making about medical priority and reassess Mr X’s priority.

Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council (24 003 408)

Statement Upheld School admissions 11-Nov-2024

Summary: We found fault on Miss P’s complaint about the appeal panel failing to properly consider her appeal against the admission authority’s decision to refuse her daughter Q a place at her preferred school. This caused the family a great deal of distress. The panel failed to properly consider her submissions when reaching its decision. It failed to properly communicate its decision to her. The agreed action remedies the injustice caused.

Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council (24 001 504)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 18-Nov-2024

Summary: Mrs X complained about delays in the Education, Health, and Care Plan process and in issuing a final EHC Plan for her son. We found the Council’s failure to adhere to the statutory timeframe is fault. This fault has caused Mrs X and her son an injustice.

Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council (24 007 183)

Statement Upheld School admissions 05-Dec-2024

Summary: Ms X complains that the Council wrongly refused her application for a place at a school for her child and the Independent Appeal Panel did not properly consider her appeal. The appeal panel was at fault as it did not properly consider Ms X’s appeal which caused uncertainty to her. The Council has agreed to remedy this injustice by apologising to Ms X.

Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council (24 005 915)

Statement Upheld Residential care 09-Dec-2024

Summary: Mrs Y complained the Council commissioned care home, Bamford Grange Care Home, failed to provide her late father, Mr X, with appropriate care and support. Mrs Y also complained the Council failed to properly investigate her concerns under its safeguarding procedures. The Council properly investigated Mrs Y’s safeguarding concerns. It accepted the care home delivered inadequate care to Mr X and was at fault. The Council has offered to waive Mr X’s care fees and make a payment to recognise her distress. It has also put in place service improvements to learn from Mrs Y’s complaint. This is a suitable remedy.