Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council (23 016 363)

Statement Upheld Assessment and care plan 15-May-2024

Summary: The Council acknowledged delay in allocating Mr Y a named social worker. It also failed to correctly fund Mr Y’s residential respite stay and during the period of the 12-week disregard.

Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council (23 011 682)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 30-May-2024

Summary: Mrs X complained about the way the Council handled reviews of her child’s education, health and care plan. Mrs X said this caused unnecessary distress and frustration. We find some fault with the Council. Part of this fault caused Mrs X injustice. The Council has agreed to apologise to Mrs X.

Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council (23 013 463)

Statement Upheld Safeguarding 17-Jun-2024

Summary: We found fault with the falls care provided to Mr X when he was resident in a care home. We also found fault with the safeguarding enquiries carried out by the local safeguarding authority. The organisations involved will apologise to Mr X’s daughter, Ms Y, and explain what action they will take to prevent similar problems occurring for other service users. They will also pay Ms Y a financial remedy in recognition of the distress these events caused her.

Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council (23 005 007)

Statement Upheld Disabled facilities grants 30-Jun-2024

Summary: Miss X complained about the Council’s actions when she wanted to apply for a Disabled Facilities Grant for her parents, Mr and Mrs Y. She also complained that the Council took too long to make payments when it had agreed to fund construction works. We found fault because the Council gave Miss X incorrect advice and closed Mrs Y’s case when it should not have done. To remedy the injustice caused, the Council has agreed to apologise to Miss X and Mrs Y, make payments to them and review some of its policies and procedures.

Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council (23 017 417)

Statement Upheld Council tax 16-Jul-2024

Summary: Mr X complained the Council sent council tax bills and correspondence to an incorrect address and wrongly obtained a liability order against him. The Council’s errors in updating Mr X’s contact details and in sending bills and court summons to an unrelated address and obtaining a liability order are fault. As is the Council’s failure to issue new bills to Mr X’s home address in November 2023 and to instead issue a further summons. These faults have caused Mr X an injustice.

Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council (23 016 383)

Statement Upheld Looked after children 05-Aug-2024

Summary: Miss E and Ms F complained how the Council communicated with them as professionals supporting looked after children. They also complained the Council maliciously reported their nursery to Ofsted. We find the Council was at fault as it failed to communicate with Miss E and Ms F properly. It also failed to be open and transparent with them about a referral to Ofsted. The Council has agreed to our recommendations to address the injustice caused by fault.

Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council (23 015 979)

Statement Upheld Other 08-Aug-2024

Summary: Mr X complained about a partially built residential development on land next to his home, which has been left by a developer for several years. He said the Council failed to take adequate enforcement action and failed to properly consider its available powers. We found procedural and case handling faults when the Council took formal enforcement action. However, this did not cause Mr X significant injustice. The Council did secure an improvement in the condition of the land, and there was no fault in the Council’s decision to withdraw court proceedings and stop formal action.

Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council (23 013 793)

Statement Upheld Safeguarding 19-Aug-2024

Summary: We uphold Mrs Y’s complaint about her grandmother’s care. We found fault with Mrs X’s continence care and some aspects of her end of life care. We also found fault with the Care Home’s record keeping and the Council’s communication. As a result, Mrs X did not always receive the care she needed. Mrs Y and her mother were also caused frustration and uncertainty. We recommend the Council and the Care Home apologise to Mrs Y and her mother and make improvements to processes.

Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council (24 004 315)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 12-Feb-2025

Summary: Mrs X complained the Council delayed amending her son, Y’s, Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan following an annual review by over a year. The Council was at fault. It delayed issuing Y’s amended EHC Plan which meant he lost out on some of the specialist educational provision in his Plan between September 2023 and July 2024. This also caused Mrs X distress and uncertainty. The Council agreed to make payments to Mrs X to recognise the injustice caused and provide us with updates on the service improvements it has already carried out in response to this complaint.

Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council (24 015 154)

Statement Upheld Alternative provision 21-Feb-2025

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint that the Council’s remedy offer to recognise her child’s missed education is insufficient. This is because the Council has agreed to resolve the complaint early by providing a proportionate remedy for the injustice caused.