Care Planning, Budgets and Choice Rights

Derby City Council criticised for delaying a review after a cut to a person’s activities budget, but upheld with regard to its stance that the needs should be met by other means

Leave a Comment / Care Planning, Budgets and Choice Rights, Care Plans and Cuts LGO, Delay and non-commissioning, Delay In General LGO, Intro to Ombudsman reports RE care planning, and personal budgets, Intro to Ombudsman reports RE Delay in General /

ate of decision: 25 November 2025 SummaryA woman complained that the Council stopped funding her disabled adult daughter’s place at a local youth theatre programme that was central to her development and social life. She said the Council’s delay in reviewing support and its refusal to reinstate funding left her daughter distressed and forced the […]

Derby City Council criticised for delaying a review after a cut to a person’s activities budget, but upheld with regard to its stance that the needs should be met by other means Read More »

Bath and North East Somerset Council partly upheld, part criticised regarding its approach to funding recreational activities via a personal budget

Leave a Comment / Care Planning, Budgets and Choice Rights, Care Plans and Cuts LGO, Direct Payments and Personal Health Budgets, Direct Payments LGO, Intro to Ombudsman reports RE care planning, and personal budgets, Intro to Ombudsman reports RE Direct Payments /

Date of decision: 26 May 2026 SummaryA relative complained that the Council stopped an autistic man’s direct payment funding for community activities after a review of his care and support plan, recording him as agreeing to changes and failing to give him or his family a copy of the revised plan, which caused avoidable confusion

Bath and North East Somerset Council partly upheld, part criticised regarding its approach to funding recreational activities via a personal budget Read More »

North Northamptonshire Council castigated for leaving a person without their community support hours, for want of capacity in the market, effectively forcing free labour out of a relative who was already a paid carer

Leave a Comment / Care Planning, Budgets and Choice Rights, Care Plans and Cuts LGO, Carer LGO, Civil Proceedings, Financial Compensation and Restitution, Intro to Ombudsman reports RE care planning, and personal budgets, Intro to Ombudsman reports RE Restitution, Intro to Ombudsman reports RE the position of informal carers, Restitution LGO, The rights of carers, in relation to health and social care services and support /

Date of decision: 30 May 2026 Summary The complaint concerned an adult man with learning disabilities, whose eligible care and support needs included 40 hours a week of funded community support to access social, recreational and leisure activities, in addition to direct payments for care at home.  When the Council switched his community support from

North Northamptonshire Council castigated for leaving a person without their community support hours, for want of capacity in the market, effectively forcing free labour out of a relative who was already a paid carer Read More »

Sheffield City Council failed in its oversight and management of a disabled woman’s care plan and direct payments, and reclaim due process

Leave a Comment / Direct Payments and Personal Health Budgets, Direct Payments LGO, Failings to Assess, Reassess, Review LGO, Intro to Ombudsman reports RE Direct Payments, Intro to Ombudsman reports RE Failings to Assess, Reassess, Review, Reviews and Revisions (cuts or changes to content) /

Date of decision: 15 April 2026 SummaryA father complained that the Council mishandled his adult disabled daughter’s direct payments, allowing an increase to 2:1 support at one day centre to be funded from her account without proper agreement or care‑plan changes, and reclaiming a large “underspend” without checking planned use.  What happenedThe adult disabled woman,

Sheffield City Council failed in its oversight and management of a disabled woman’s care plan and direct payments, and reclaim due process Read More »

Staffordshire County Council criticised for fault in its approach to funding respite care through  Direct Payments

Leave a Comment / Carer LGO, Direct Payments and Personal Health Budgets, Direct Payments LGO, Intro to Ombudsman reports RE Direct Payments, Intro to Ombudsman reports RE the position of informal carers, The rights of carers, in relation to health and social care services and support /

Date of decision: 07 May 2026 SummaryA mother informally supporting her son with learning disabilities complained that he had been without funded respite care since May 2025. This followed the Council’s refusal to allow flexible use of his direct payment to fund a more expensive respite option for fewer nights.  What happenedMr Y, an adult

Staffordshire County Council criticised for fault in its approach to funding respite care through  Direct Payments Read More »

Derbyshire County Council responsible for faults in care assessment and personal budget setting for a direct payment after a revision

Leave a Comment / Care Planning, Budgets and Choice Rights, Care Plans and Cuts LGO, Delay and non-commissioning, Delay In General LGO, Direct Payments and Personal Health Budgets, Direct Payments LGO, Failings to Assess, Reassess, Review LGO, Intro to Ombudsman reports RE care planning, and personal budgets, Intro to Ombudsman reports RE Delay in General, Intro to Ombudsman reports RE Direct Payments, Intro to Ombudsman reports RE Failings to Assess, Reassess, Review, Intro to Ombudsman reports RE Providers' 'Fault', Providers' Fault LGO, Reviews and Revisions (cuts or changes to content) /

Date of decision: 08 April 2026 Summary Derbyshire Council was at fault for delays and inconsistencies in assessing and re-assessing an elderly woman’s care needs, for producing inconsistent personal budgets and care plans, and for delaying complaint responses. What happened Mrs Y was an elderly woman with several health conditions who lived at home with

Derbyshire County Council responsible for faults in care assessment and personal budget setting for a direct payment after a revision Read More »

Birmingham City Council’s failings regarding top-up process reveals a range of potential illegalities and errors of law

Leave a Comment / Care Planning, Budgets and Choice Rights, Care Plans and Cuts LGO, Choice of Accommodation and Top-Ups LGO, Choice of Accommodation post Care Act, Commissioning, Joint Working and Integration, Integration and Identifying the Liable Authority LGO, Intro to Ombudsman reports RE care planning, and personal budgets, Intro to Ombudsman reports RE Choice of Accommodation, Intro to Ombudsman reports RE Integration and Identifying the Liable Authority /

Date of decision: 28 May 2026 SummaryA woman was discharged from hospital into a residential care home after a stroke, needing double hoisting, with the Council arranging and funding the placement under the Care Act. The home chosen by the family charged more than the Council’s “usual” rate, and instead of ensuring at least one

Birmingham City Council’s failings regarding top-up process reveals a range of potential illegalities and errors of law Read More »

Wiltshire Council failed to oversee financial and contractual arrangements with a care home after taking over a privately funded arrangement pending looking for housing or other accommodation

Leave a Comment / Choice of Accommodation and Top-Ups LGO, Choice of Accommodation post Care Act, Intro to Ombudsman reports RE Choice of Accommodation /

Date of decision 21 November 2025 SummaryAn individual’s family said the Council misled them about care home options, funding, and top-up fees, then sent a shock invoice for over £50,000 in alleged third party top-ups. The Ombudsman found the Council’s assessment, advice and explanations about care options and liability to pay were broadly sound, but

Wiltshire Council failed to oversee financial and contractual arrangements with a care home after taking over a privately funded arrangement pending looking for housing or other accommodation Read More »

Somerset Council failed to commission sufficient affordable care home placements and took money for an asserted ‘top-ups’ of £375 a week when the cost was more than double its asserted ‘usual’ rate.

Leave a Comment / Choice of Accommodation and Top-Ups LGO, Choice of Accommodation post Care Act, Intro to Ombudsman reports RE Choice of Accommodation /

Date of decision: 23 October 2025 SummaryAn individual’s estate complained that the Council had arranged a care home place without offering any option within the personal budget and then treated an expensive “top up” as unavoidable.  What happenedIn early November 2023, an older woman living in her own home with a care package was admitted

Somerset Council failed to commission sufficient affordable care home placements and took money for an asserted ‘top-ups’ of £375 a week when the cost was more than double its asserted ‘usual’ rate. Read More »

Bristol Council criticised for underfunding a direct payment for a Shared Lives Client who had spent private money on backfill cover for the Shared Lives’ carer’s annual leave.

Leave a Comment / Care Planning, Budgets and Choice Rights, Care Plans and Cuts LGO, Civil Proceedings, Financial Compensation and Restitution, Intro to Ombudsman reports RE care planning, and personal budgets, Intro to Ombudsman reports RE Restitution, Restitution LGO, Supported Living LGO /

Date of decision: 06 January 2025 Summary Mr X, a disabled adult living in a Shared Lives household, missed out on appropriate direct payments for respite care when his carer, Mrs Z, took her contractual leave. The Council’s offer to reimburse him for these missed payments was significantly less than the actual costs he incurred,

Bristol Council criticised for underfunding a direct payment for a Shared Lives Client who had spent private money on backfill cover for the Shared Lives’ carer’s annual leave. Read More »