North Yorkshire County Council
Annual statistics ?Find out more about annual statistics
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Complaints upheld
78% Complaints upheld by North Yorkshire County Council
78% of complaints we investigated were upheld.
This compares to an average of 80% in similar authorities.
29 upheld decisions
View upheld decisionsAdjusted for North Yorkshire County Council's population, this is
4.7 upheld decisions per 100,000 residents.The average for authorities of this type is
3.4 upheld decisions per 100,000 residents.Statistics are based on a total of 37 detailed investigations for the period between 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023
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Compliance with Ombudsman recommendations
100% of cases were successfully implemented by North Yorkshire County Council
100% of cases we were satisfied the Council had successfully implemented our recommendations.
This compares to an average of 100% in similar authorities.
Statistics are based on a total of 23 compliance outcomes for the period between 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023
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Satisfactory remedies provided by the Council
14% Complaints with satisfactory remedy provided by North Yorkshire County Council
In 14% of upheld cases we found the Council had provided a satisfactory remedy before the complaint reached the Ombudsman.
This compares to an average of 6% in similar authorities.
4 satisfactory remedy decisions
Statistics are based on a total of 29 detailed investigations for the period between 1 April 2022 to 31 March 2023
View all satisfactory remedy decisions
Annual letters
We write to councils each year to give a summary of the complaint statistics we record about them,
and their performance in responding to our investigations.
Public reports ?Find out more about public reports
In the last nine years, the Ombudsman has published the following public interest reports against North Yorkshire County Council
Council care calculations called into question
North Yorkshire Council has been told to re-calculate how much a woman should pay for her care after the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman found issues with its predecessor’s sums.
Ombudsman investigation highlights councils’ recruitment problems
The problems faced by councils in recruiting educational psychologists have been highlighted in an investigation report by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.
Family’s care bill soars without warning because of poor council information
North Yorkshire County Council has been criticised by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman after a family’s care bill leapt from hundreds to thousands of pounds a month without notice.
Council fails to carry out financial assessment following Ombudsman investigation
North Yorkshire County Council has failed to carry out a financial assessment it had agreed to undertake following an earlier upheld complaint to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.
Councils urged to check their care charging procedures following Ombudsman investigations
The second of two reports on the same topic.
Councils urged to check their care charging procedures following Ombudsman investigations
Councils across England are being reminded of their obligations to families when placing people in care homes, after two North Yorkshire families paid over the odds for relatives’ care because the county council gave them inaccurate information.
Council wrongly decides elderly woman had spent her money to avoid paying care fees
North Yorkshire County Council stopped paying for an elderly woman’s care home after it decided she gave away money to avoid paying the fees, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has found.
Service improvements ?Find out more about service improvements
Since April 2018, the Council has agreed to make the following improvements to its services following an Ombudsman investigation. We list up to 10 cases below – click ‘view all’ if there are more.
Case reference: 22 017 529
Category: Adult care services
Sub Category: Charging
- The Council has agreed to provide evidence that it has improved its processes to follow up on the progress of mental capacity assessment requests when these are raised.
- The Council has agreed to remind its adult social care staff that light touch financial assessments to assess what someone should pay towards their care are only appropriate when there is clear evidence that they are above the capital limit threshold and not when the person's mental caapcity around their finances are under review.
Case reference: 22 016 258
Category: Education
Sub Category: Alternative provision
- The Council will remind relevant staff: that it is the Council’s duty to ensure the specified special educational provision in an Education, Health and Care Plan for a child or young person is being provided, and it should investigate where a concern is raised that the provision is not in place; andto review Education, Health and Care Plans in line with the statutory guidance and adhere to the timescales set out within it.
Case reference: 22 013 524
Category: Adult care services
Sub Category: Safeguarding
- Complete an internal review to establish clarity around processes where there is a Direct Payment in place. The purpose of the review should be to clearly set out the Council’s roles and responsibilities and establish a clear protocol where care has not been sourced through a Direct Payment arrangement. This is intended to benefit future service users, who may seek support from the Council whilst in receipt of a Direct Payment and add clarity to the process. The Council should provide the Ombudsman with a copy of any review it completes.
- Ensure Care Provider A has a clear protocol for the sharing of care plans, to ensure there is no delay, and that any actions required for it to share the care plan are actioned and begun without delay.
Case reference: 22 011 460
Category: Adult care services
Sub Category: Residential care
- The Council will carry out a contract monitoring visit to the Care Home to ensure all council-funded residents have up to date care plans.
Case reference: 22 008 528
Category: Adult care services
Sub Category: Charging
- •Issue guidance to staff, reminding them of the importance of providing clear information in communication with service users.
Case reference: 22 004 578
Category: Education
Sub Category: Special educational needs
- The Council has agreed to carry out renewed training for its Special Educational Needs and Disabilities team on the statutory timescales for completing annual review processes and finalising Education, Health and Care Plans, including when this applies to 'early' annual reviews.
- The Council has agreed to set out in writing to all of its Special Educational Needs and Disabilities staff why it is important for children, young people and their parents to have up-to-date, finalised, Education, Health and Care Plans in each academic year.
- The Council has agreed to remind its complaint handling team for special educational needs complaints that if their investigation identifies that the Council has not met its statutory duties around annual reviews and Education, Health and Care Plans, then it should apologise for this and take prompt action to remedy the fault.
Case reference: 22 003 308
Category: Adult care services
Sub Category: Charging
- The Council will remind its staff of the need to provide all service users with advanced and detailed information on how much they would be expected to pay towards their care before any charges are due. The Council will send us the evidence that this has happened.
Case reference: 22 000 193
Category: Adult care services
Sub Category: Assessment and care plan
- TheCouncil has agreed to review how it manages escalationrequests for Complaints Reviews to Senior Managers in both Health and AdultServices and also Social Care Complaints.
- The Council has agreed to remind Care and Support workers of the need for timely assessments for long term care following a person’s discharge from hospital, particularly where there is an expressed desire and expectation that they will return home.
- The Council has agreed to ensure that Team Managers in Social Care are aware of the need to reallocate cases in a timely way when workers are absent from work.
- The Council has agreed to remind Care and Support workers of the need for regular and consistent communication with people and their families, so they do not need to chase for information / updates.
Case reference: 21 017 755
Category: Adult care services
Sub Category: Charging
- The Council has agreed to provide evidence that it has reminded its social care staff of the importance of informing people about their care costs prior to any care commencing.
Case reference: 21 015 815
Category: Adult care services
Sub Category: Charging
- The Council has agreed to review its communication around charging in this case and ensure staff are clear in future about how it allows for non dependent’s household contributions.
- The Council has agreed to ensure the reasons for any charging decisions are clearly recorded.
Last updated: 4 April 2015