Summary: Mrs X complains about the care her sister, Ms Y received at a care home. She says the home did not properly respond to complaints and delayed in refunding care fees. The Ombudsman finds Ms Y suffered injustice because of two of the issues raised. We recommend the Home apologise to Ms Y and update its procedures.

Summary: Mr B complains the Council has: failed to meet his need for night time care; not progressed his application for a level access shower; refused to repair his intercom; and not taken account of all his disability related expenditure. The evidence does not support the claims about night time care or the level access shower. However, the Council has offered to revisit Mr B to identify a solution for the intercom. It also needs to review his disability related expenditure to address anomalies.

Summary: Mr X complains about the Council’s handling of his bathroom adaptation works. He complains the Council did not follow the correct process for getting quotes and that it chose an inappropriate contractor. Mr X says this caused delays to his bathroom adaptation and left him without a suitable bathroom for months. The Ombudsman does not find fault with the Council’s actions.

Summary: The Ombudsmen find a CCG failed to act on information about a resident with nursing needs moving out of its area. The lack of action meant the care home in the new area did not receive the Funded Nursing Care contributions it was entitled to. This was an injustice. The CCG agreed to make a payment to reimburse these missed payments.

Summary: Ms B complains about the care her father received which resulted in him falling on the stairs and breaking his hip. There is insufficient evidence to establish what happened and, in these circumstances, the Ombudsman does not uphold the complaint.

Summary: Miss B complains for her late father about the care he received at Acorn Lodge Care Home. The Ombudsman finds there was fault by the care provider and that this led to injustice for which a remedy has been agreed.

Summary: We uphold Ms A’s complaints about inadequate notice and a failure to give her feedback on safeguarding concerns. This caused her avoidable inconvenience and distress. The Council will apologise and meet with Ms A to give her feedback. The Care Provider (Complete Nursing Services) will apologise and revise its contract to include a term about the circumstances when it will give immediate notice to end the service.

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint about the way that the Council handled a complaint to it. This is because further investigation would not add anything to the Council’s response.

Summary: The Council is not at fault in charging a third party top up fee for Mr X’s care in a care home. But the Council is at fault for not acting on Mrs X’s letter notifying the Council that she could no longer pay a top up fee towards Mr X’s care and for failing to properly consider the options for Mr X’s future care. The Council has removed the top up fee from when the notice period expired which is an appropriate remedy. The Council will also apologise to Mrs X for the uncertainty caused.

Summary: Mrs B complains on behalf of Mrs C that Bupa Care Homes did not provide the residential care Mrs C paid for. Mrs C did not get satisfactory care from the care home and this caused significant injustice. The Ombudsman finds Bupa Care Homes at fault. The Ombudsman recommends Bupa Care Homes reimburse Mrs C half her care home fees, review her care plan, give staff training and develop an action plan to ensure policies are put into practice.

Summary: We uphold Ms A’s complaints about inadequate notice and a failure to give her feedback on safeguarding concerns. This caused her avoidable inconvenience and distress. The Council will apologise and meet with Ms A to give her feedback. The Care Provider (Complete Nursing Services) will apologise and revise its contract to include a term about the circumstances when it will give immediate notice to end the service.

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint about the provision of mental health services by the Council. This is because we could not add anything to the Council’s investigation and cannot achieve the complainant’s desired outcome

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint that the Council has not helped the complainant to use her bins correctly. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault by the Council.

Summary: Mrs X complained the Council failed to provide adequate support to her daughter, Ms D, to help her manage her direct payments. It also failed to pay Mrs X properly when she acted as Ms D’s personal assistant. The Council was at fault as it failed to pay Mrs X appropriately as a personal assistant for Ms D. It failed to take appropriate steps and let the situation drift when Mrs X and Ms D did not sign the support plan and direct payment agreement. The Council has agreed to pay Mrs X £9,100 to acknowledge the support she provided to Ms D and to pay her an additional £1,000 in recognition of the additional carer’s strain the Council’s faults caused her. It has also agreed to remind staff of the need to ensure suitable payment arrangements are in place when carers are paid under an exceptional circumstances agreement.

Summary: Ms C complained about the process through which the Council put a home care package in place for her mother. The Council had already apologised to Ms C for the delay in responding to her urgent telephone message on 13 June 2018. The Council has agreed to review the way in which adult social care handles telephone contacts, and to develop an information leaflet about the Council’s adult social care needs assessment process.

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Mrs B’s complaint on behalf of Mrs C that the Council gave Mrs C incorrect advice about her entitlement to financial help. This is because we could not now establish with sufficient certainty that any fault by the Council is the cause of injustice to Mrs C.

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Ms B’s complaint about the Council’s failure to safeguard her sister, Ms C. This is because Ms B does not have Ms C’s consent to complain on her behalf.

Summary: Ms B complains about the way the Council has administered the Direct Payments her disabled son receives. The Ombudsman will not investigate the complaint because there is no evidence of fault by the Council.

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Ms A’s complaint about care provided to her father Mr B, prior to his death in 2017. This is because he could not add to the care provider’s or the Council’s responses even if he investigated.

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint about an application for a Blue Badge because it is unlikely he would find fault by the Council.

Summary: Mr X complains about the way the Council handled the review of his care in April 2018, which led to delays in finalising his care and support plan. He also complains the Council did not address all his concerns. The Council was at fault for inadequacies in the review. It should apologise to Mr X for the uncertainty and avoidable distress caused.

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint about the way in which the Council is managing financial arrangements for the complainant’s mother. This is because there is nothing that we could add to the Council’s investigation and response.

Summary: The Council did not delay in carrying out an occupational therapy assessment. Information on the Council’s website about grant funding for adaptations was inadequate and this was fault. But Mr A was not misled because he was already aware he may not receive funding retrospectively if he installed a stair lift privately. The Council has changed the information on its website and this is an appropriate action in response to the identified problem.

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about the Care Provider for her relative Mr Y failing to tell her about his end-of-life care plan, and about financial abuse by staff. The complaint is too old and there are no good grounds for the Ombudsman to investigate it now. It is reasonable to expect Ms X or the executor of Mr Y’s estate to seek financial remedy by going to court, if that remedy has not already been received.

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Mrs A’s complaint about the care provided to residents in a nearby home. This is because Mrs A does not have consent or standing to complain on behalf of residents.