Intro to Ombudsman reports RE Restitution

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 »

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 »

Reading Borough Council called out for failing for 6 months to commission support for engaging with the community that was part of the service user’s formal care plan, and for attempting to foist direct payments on the parent

Leave a Comment / Care Planning, Budgets and Choice Rights, Civil Proceedings, Financial Compensation and Restitution, Delay and non-commissioning, Delay In General 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 Delay in General, Intro to Ombudsman reports RE Direct Payments, Intro to Ombudsman reports RE Restitution, Restitution LGO /

Date of decision: 06 February 2026 Summary  An adult woman with autism and mental health issues and an assessed need for 18 hours per week of community-based support was left without that input for around six months, leaving her isolated at home and wholly reliant on her parents for care. The Council repeatedly pressed her

Reading Borough Council called out for failing for 6 months to commission support for engaging with the community that was part of the service user’s formal care plan, and for attempting to foist direct payments on the parent Read More »

Ombudsman tells Barnet Council to provide restitution for delays in implementing additional care hours, after obliging a man to fund his own agreed support for months

Leave a Comment / Care Planning, Budgets and Choice Rights, Care Plans and Cuts LGO, Civil Proceedings, Financial Compensation and Restitution, Complaints System and the Ombudsmen, Council's Complaint Procedure LGO, Delay and non-commissioning, Delay In General LGO, Intro to Ombudsman reports RE 'Fault' in the context of how councils run complaints internally, Intro to Ombudsman reports RE care planning, and personal budgets, Intro to Ombudsman reports RE Delay in General, Intro to Ombudsman reports RE Restitution, Restitution LGO /

Date of decision: 13 February 2026 SummaryAn adult man with eligible care needs complained that the Council failed to put in place 7 extra weekly support hours that had been formally added to his care and support plan. He had to pay privately for this agreed care himself and repeatedly chase the Council, causing avoidable

Ombudsman tells Barnet Council to provide restitution for delays in implementing additional care hours, after obliging a man to fund his own agreed support for months Read More »

Southend-on-Sea City Council steps up via safeguarding to reimburse a man from whom the provider’s employee had taken money, given the limitations to the scope of standard deputyship

Leave a Comment / Civil Proceedings, Financial Compensation and Restitution, How the Mental Capacity Act affects the Care Act, Intro to Ombudsman reports RE Restitution, Intro to Ombudsman reports RE Safeguarding, Harm, Deprivation of Liberty, Restitution LGO, Safeguarding, Harm, Deprivation of Liberty LGO /

Date of decision:21 March 2025 SummaryA complaint against Southend Council’s failure to reimburse funds taken from an elderly man’s bank account by a care provider’s carer, causing prolonged financial hardship and distress, was resolved after intervention by the Ombudsman and action to overcome a legal difficulty. What happenedMs X, deputy for Mr Y (an elderly

Southend-on-Sea City Council steps up via safeguarding to reimburse a man from whom the provider’s employee had taken money, given the limitations to the scope of standard deputyship Read More »

North Lincolnshire Council excluded vulnerable person and family from care needs assessment, leading to poor communication and massive care cost arrears

Leave a Comment / Care Planning, Budgets and Choice Rights, Care Plans and Cuts LGO, Charging and financial assessment, Charging LGO, Civil Proceedings, Financial Compensation and Restitution, Failings to Assess, Reassess, Review LGO, Intro to Ombudsman reports RE care planning, and personal budgets, Intro to Ombudsman reports RE charging and financial assessment, Intro to Ombudsman reports RE Failings to Assess, Reassess, Review, Intro to Ombudsman reports RE Restitution, Restitution LGO, Reviews and Revisions (cuts or changes to content) /

Date of decision: 14 September 2025 SummaryAn individual, Ms Z, complained on behalf of her sister, Mrs X, that the Council excluded them all from a care needs assessment and failed to provide timely and clear details of care charges for four months. The lack of involvement and poor communication caused significant distress and uncertainty

North Lincolnshire Council excluded vulnerable person and family from care needs assessment, leading to poor communication and massive care cost arrears Read More »

West Sussex County Council failed to assess and care plan within a reasonable time, following a hospital’s referral upon discharge

Leave a Comment / Care Planning, Budgets and Choice Rights, Care Plans and Cuts LGO, Civil Proceedings, Financial Compensation and Restitution, Failings to Assess, Reassess, Review LGO, Intro to Ombudsman reports RE care planning, and personal budgets, Intro to Ombudsman reports RE Failings to Assess, Reassess, Review, Intro to Ombudsman reports RE Restitution, Remedies, rights, complaints, regulatory and criminal law aspects to adult social care, enforcement of one’s rights, Restitution LGO, Reviews and Revisions (cuts or changes to content) /

Date of decision: 30 Jun 2025 SummaryThis complaint concerned the Council’s prolonged delay assessing an adult’s care needs and failure promptly to finalise a care plan and implement necessary support, which directly harmed the individual’s health and wellbeing. What happenedIn late May 2023, the hospital referred Mr X, a patient, to the Council for an

West Sussex County Council failed to assess and care plan within a reasonable time, following a hospital’s referral upon discharge Read More »

Midshires Care Limited at fault for poor communication, inadequate care arrangements, and billing failures

Leave a Comment / Civil Proceedings, Financial Compensation and Restitution, Failings to Assess, Reassess, Review LGO, Intro to Ombudsman reports RE Providers' 'Fault', Intro to Ombudsman reports RE Restitution, Issues of importance to social care service providers, Providers' Fault LGO, Restitution LGO, Reviews and Revisions (cuts or changes to content) /

Decision Date: 25 March 2025 Summary In this complaint about live-in care services it was alleged that the agency provider failed to follow a suitable process when selecting a live-in carer for Mrs Y and did not complete a proper risk assessment until September 2023. This was said to lead to care worker departure and

Midshires Care Limited at fault for poor communication, inadequate care arrangements, and billing failures Read More »

Derby City at fault regarding an arbitrary cut, not in compliance with law or Guidance, to the care plan of a deafblind person, citing ‘natural support’ from family members, without ascertainment of willingness or ability.

Leave a Comment / Care Planning, Budgets and Choice Rights, Care Plans and Cuts LGO, Carer LGO, Civil Proceedings, Financial Compensation and Restitution, Failings to Assess, Reassess, Review LGO, Intro to Ombudsman reports RE care planning, and personal budgets, Intro to Ombudsman reports RE Failings to Assess, Reassess, Review, Intro to Ombudsman reports RE Restitution, Intro to Ombudsman reports RE the position of informal carers, Restitution LGO, Reviews and Revisions (cuts or changes to content), The rights of carers, in relation to health and social care services and support /

Decision Date: 18 Sep 2024 Summary The LGSCO criticised Derby City for reducing a deafblind person’s care package without properly reassessing her needs or her full time working husband’s ability and willingness to provide informal care. A re-assessment was required, with an updated care plan. What happened Mrs B is deafblind and lives with a

Derby City at fault regarding an arbitrary cut, not in compliance with law or Guidance, to the care plan of a deafblind person, citing ‘natural support’ from family members, without ascertainment of willingness or ability. Read More »

North Northamptonshire Council not at fault for its safeguarding process, but was still found at fault for failing to follow up repeated cancellations of support hours by the care provider, resulting in insufficient breaks for a carer

Leave a Comment / Civil Proceedings, Financial Compensation and Restitution, How the Mental Capacity Act affects the Care Act, Intro to Ombudsman reports RE Providers' 'Fault', Intro to Ombudsman reports RE Restitution, Intro to Ombudsman reports RE Safeguarding, Harm, Deprivation of Liberty, Issues of importance to social care service providers, Restitution LGO, Safeguarding, Harm, Deprivation of Liberty LGO /

Decision Date: 29 September 2024 Summary This was a complaint about two aspects of a care package: that the Council had not provided adequate safeguarding attention in preventing financial abuse to a man in the context of shopping and receipts; and separately, concerning repeated cancellations of support hours by the care provider which the Council’s

North Northamptonshire Council not at fault for its safeguarding process, but was still found at fault for failing to follow up repeated cancellations of support hours by the care provider, resulting in insufficient breaks for a carer Read More »