Archived decisions

Contact: Graham Linecar, Ext 7390

1. The Local Government Ombudsman has published (December 2001) his report on an investigation of a complaint against the County Council. Copies are on public deposit at the County Council's Information Centres and are available in the Members' rooms.

2. The complaint related to a Social Services matter. The complainant's mother was cared for in a County Council residential care home. The complainant was dissatisfied with the response he was given to his enquiries about standards and requirements of care provision in residential care homes and with the way his subsequent complaint was handled. The Ombudsman did not uphold the generality of the complaint and found no maladministration in the content of the responses about care provision, standards of care provision or access to personal files. There was some initial delay in responding to the initial enquiry for which an apology was given. There was no maladministration causing injustice in the complaints procedure.

3. During investigation of the complaint, shortcomings came to light in the way that the particular residential care home administered accounts of residents' personal expenditure. The report recognises that changes were made in accounting procedures some time ago so the same thing would not happen again.

4. The Director of Social Services wrote to the complainant apologising for an initial delay in responding to enquiries. The Director made a small payment (£200) to the complainant in recognition of his time and trouble in pursuing what the Director accepted were justifiable queries and concerns about faults in keeping a record of his mother's personal expenditure whilst living in a County Council residential care home.

5. The Executive Member, Social Care, has received a copy of the Ombudsman's report. The Ombudsman records the action taken by the Director: "The Ombudsman considered the Council's response has satisfactorily remedied the injustice arising from its maladministration in this case". No further action is necessary or appropriate.

6. This Committee is asked to note publication of the Ombudsman's report.

Recommendation:

It is recommended that this Committee notes publication of a report of an investigation by the Local Government Ombudsman of a complaint concerning a Social Services matter and welcomes the Ombudsman's conclusion not to uphold the generality of the complaint and that action already taken by the County Council provided satisfactory remedy of two lesser matters where he concluded the County Council was at fault.

Background Information

Section 100D - Local Government Act 1972 - background papers

The following documents disclose facts or matters on which this report, or an important part of it, is based and has been relied upon to a material extent in the preparation of this report.

NB the list excludes:

1. Published works.

2. Documents which disclose exempt or confidential information as defined in the Act.

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