Service improvements

West Sussex County Council

Showing service improvements between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025

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 1 - 10 of 11 cases with service improvements

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

  • West Sussex County Council (24 007 403)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 19-Mar-2025

    Summary

    Mr X complained that the Council wrongly stopped Mr T (suitable person) from managing his direct payment and it failed to tell him about its decision reasons. There was fault by the Council with its delays in completing Mr X’s care needs review assessment and his mental capacity act assessment. This caused distress, worry, uncertainty and frustration to Mr X. The Council will take action to remedy the injustice caused.

    Service improvements

    By training or other means remind relevant staff of the importance of completing service users’ care needs reassessments and mental capacity act assessments in a timely manner.

  • West Sussex County Council (24 004 519)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 14-Jan-2025

    Summary

    Mrs Y, on behalf of Mrs X, complained the Council delayed completing a financial assessment for Mr X’s package of care and then produced an incorrect assessment causing distress. The Council accepts fault in this case and has now paid the money owed. A suitable remedy for the injustice is agreed.

    Service improvements

    Provide an action plan showing the steps the Council has taken or intends to take to ensure cases are now being allocated promptly and that it is completing financial assessments within its four week target time.

  • West Sussex County Council (24 003 896)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 06-Feb-2025

    Summary

    Mr B complained about the way an NHS Trust and Council assessed him to decide whether he should be detained under the Mental Health Act. He also complained about his care and support while he was waiting to be transferred to an in-patient “mental health bed”. We found fault by both organisations. The Trust did not properly inform Mr B about his legal rights and status under the Mental Health Act. The Council did not ensure the medical recommendations remained valid when it reassessed Mr B under the Mental Health Act. These failings caused Mr B avoidable distress and upset. The organisations have agreed to apologise, pay a financial remedy, and take actions to improve their services.

    Service improvements

    Within three months, the Council should consider the lessons learned from this complaint. It should write to Mr B and set out the action it has already taken, and any further planned action, in relation to:• ensuring s12 medical recommendations have not expired / are about to expire when a repeat MHA assessment is carried out by an AMHP • ensuring complaints about s12 doctors under the MHA are routed to the appropriate organisation to investigate and respond to.

  • West Sussex County Council (24 002 369)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 14-Jan-2025

    Summary

    Mrs X complained on behalf of her son Mr Y, that the Council failed to take action to provide him suitable independent living. There was delay and a lack of specific information about housing which was crucial to the process and which caused significant distress to Mrs X and her health while she continued to provide a significant level of care to Mr Y. A suitable remedy for the injustice caused by the fault is agreed.

    Service improvements

    Review processes to ensure that suitable information is available to service users, their families and council staff to ensure similar fault does not arise again.

  • West Sussex County Council (24 001 520)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 11-Dec-2024

    Summary

    Mr B says the Council wrongly stopped the person who had managed his direct payment for many years from doing so, failed to explain its decision, moved him to a Council managed budget without consent and refused to allow someone to attend his review. There is no evidence of fault in the Council’s decision to stop the person managing Mr B’s direct payments or in its decision to move him to a managed budget. The Council delayed making those decisions and failed to ask Mr B for his views on who to include in the review meeting. An apology, payment and reminder to officers is satisfactory remedy.

    Service improvements

    The Council will send a reminder to officers about what the care and support statutory guidance says about service users being able to have other people present at a review should they wish them to do so.

  • West Sussex County Council (23 020 341)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 04-Dec-2024

    Summary

    Mr X complains on behalf of Mr Y. He complains that the Council failed to arrange a care provider for Mrs Z to enable her to live in her own home and delayed in carrying out a care assessment. The Council was at fault as it delayed in carrying out a care needs assessment for Mrs Z and did not explore where she wanted to live when it eventually carried out the assessment. As a result, Mrs Z was prevented from returning home with a care package. The fault also caused distress and uncertainty to Mr Y which the Council has agreed to remedy by apologising and making a symbolic payment of £500 to him.

    Service improvements

    Provide or draw up an action plan with timescales to show how the Council is or tackling the excessive times in carrying out care needs assessments. This is to reduce the time service users are waiting for their care needs to be assessed.By training or other means, remind staff carrying out care needs assessments that such assessments should be person centred and fully involve the service user in decisions about their care

  • West Sussex County Council (23 017 969)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 29-Nov-2024

    Summary

    There was fault in the way the Council reviewed and changed a care plan. This has caused uncertainty about what the outcome would have been had all relevant matters been considered. The Council will apologise, make a symbolic payment and make service improvements. The Council has also agreed to carry out a reassessment.

    Service improvements

    The Council will remind officers how ‘best value’ is to be determined and that this must not just be the cheapest option but be determined with consideration of he relevant matters set out in the Care Act and Guidance.

  • West Sussex County Council (23 014 091)

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

    Summary

    Mrs X complained about the Council’s decision to charge her mother, Mrs Y, for her care and support, after first saying there would be nothing to pay. We did not find the Council said Mrs Y would not have to pay for her care and support. However, we found the Council was at fault for not providing clear charging information in writing at the start, and for significant delays completing a financial assessment. But we found no fault in the way the Council completed Mrs Y’s financial assessment.

    Service improvements

    The Council will give staff in its adult social care service refresher training or guidance on giving clear information about charging for adult social care. It will also remind staff that verbal advice should be confirmed in writing.The Council will review its adult social care financial assessment practice to identify any systemic issues leading to delays and consider ways to reduce wait times.

  • West Sussex County Council (23 013 322)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 15-Jul-2024

    Summary

    Mrs F complained that both Councils failed to agree adaptations to the family home needed by her husband and children. We upheld the complaint, finding both Councils acted with fault contributing to an impasse where no application for grant funding had been made. This caused distress. The Councils accepted our findings and at this statement, we set out the action they have agreed to take to remedy this injustice and improve services.

    Service improvements

    The Council agreed that it would brief all Councils who are party to the West Sussex Disabled Facilities Grants Policy on the approach to be taken if proposed adaptations for grant works exceed the total price of grants available. This is to ensure potential recipients of grants are properly consulted on their views and that decisions to limit recommendations are based on need and not driven by financial considerations.The Council also agreed that it would modify the letter it sends out when its Occupational Therapists copy their final recommendations to potential applicants for Disabled Facilities Grants. This is to reflect that applicants may not agree the recommendations and can make representations, with the final decision on what adaptations to approve resting with the local District Council.

  • West Sussex County Council (23 011 722)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 29-Apr-2024

    Summary

    Ms C complains the Council inappropriately charged for residential care after her father died and the residential care it commissioned was inadequate. The Council is at fault for failing to respond to Ms C and there was service failure by the care home. This caused Ms C uncertainty and avoidable charges for care. To remedy the complaint the Council has agreed to waive some outstanding fees. It will also make Ms C a symbolic payment for the time, trouble and distress the Council’s actions caused her. As part of its commissioning role the Council will also review the Care Provider’s recording.

    Service improvements

    The Council will:a) review the communication shortfall both in the complaint handling and charging in this complaint and consider what actions the Council can take to prevent a reoccurrence; and,b) through contract monitoring with the Care Provider:-1. provide a reminder about the importance of consistent recording;2. consider how the Care Provider assesses and supports people who are at high risk of pressure sores and asphyxiation to ensure the processes are consistent and provide an accurate account of needs and the support required.

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