Moors Park (Bishopsteignton) Limited (23 001 565)

Report Upheld Charging 18-Mar-2025

Summary: The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman investigated a complaint about care home fees charged to the complainant’s mother. We found Moors Park (Bishopsteignton) Limited: imposed additional charges for care provided over a weekly baseline limit of 25 hours, which was not set out in the contract; charged other residents additional fees without first amending their contracts;  This meant the care home caused the woman financial injustice and her son suffered time and trouble complaining.

North Lincolnshire Council (24 000 521)

Statement Upheld Charging 18-Feb-2025

Summary: Mr X complains the Council failed to deal properly with his late wife’s direct payments, by taking too long to audit them and then asking her estate to repay nearly £1,700. The Council failed to produce a detailed care and support plan in 2022. This resulted in a lack of clarity over what Mrs X’s direct payments could be used for. The Council needs to apologise, reduce its claim on Mrs X’s estate, pay Mr X for the distress caused and ensure officers improve their working practices.

Portsmouth City Council (24 009 729)

Statement Upheld Charging 18-Feb-2025

Summary: Mrs X complains that the Council wrongly told her it would apply a mandatory property disregard and then wrongly refused a discretionary property disregard. The Council was at fault as it wrongly told Mrs X that it would award a mandatory property disregard. The Council was also at fault as it did not consider Mrs X’s application for a discretionary property disregard in accordance with the Care and Support statutory guidance. These faults caused distress and uncertainty to Mrs X which the Council has agreed to remedy by apologising and making a symbolic payment of £400 to her. The Council will also consider Mrs X’s application for a discretionary property disregard again.

Warwickshire County Council (24 015 099)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Charging 18-Feb-2025

Summary: We cannot investigate Mr X’s complaint that the Council gave him incorrect information during a telephone call. Mr X has been aware of the matters he complains about for over 12 months and he has provided no good reason why he did not complain earlier. Therefore, the complaint is late.

Blackpool Borough Council (24 002 439)

Statement Not upheld Charging 17-Feb-2025

Summary: Mr X, complained on behalf of the late Mr Y about the Council’s decision to include a gift to Mr Y’s relative as notional capital when determining Mr Y’s care contributions. Mr X also complained about the assessment process, including delays, inadequate communication and threatening recovery action for Mr Y’s care fees. We have ended this investigation because a court has already made a judgment on the deprivation of assets issue and there is nothing worthwhile we can achieve by pursuing the other matters further.

London Borough of Redbridge (24 003 489)

Statement Upheld Charging 17-Feb-2025

Summary: Mr Y complains the Council handled Mr X’s care poorly. He complains the Council did not confirm care home fees Mr X was liable for and delayed allocating him a social worker. We find the Council at fault which caused Mr X injustice. The Council has agreed to make a issue an amended invoice and take service improvement action.

Cambridgeshire County Council (24 010 059)

Statement Upheld Charging 17-Feb-2025

Summary: We upheld Ms X’s complaint about disability expenses for heating because the Council did not properly consider this by asking Ms X for additional evidence of expenditure. The Council will apologise and review the financial assessment. We did not uphold Ms X’s complaint that the Council refused to cover the full cost of live-in care. This is because the Council is entitled under case law and paragraph 10.27 of Care and Support Statutory Guidance to have regard to its finances.

Buckinghamshire Council (24 011 605)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Charging 14-Feb-2025

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about the Council charging her for non-residential care. This is because there is insufficient evidence of fault.

Nottinghamshire County Council (24 014 026)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Charging 13-Feb-2025

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about adult social care charges. It is unlikely we would add to the Council’s investigation or reach a different outcome.

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council (24 015 625)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Charging 13-Feb-2025

Summary: We will not investigate this late complaint about delays in the Council issuing an invoice for care. There is not a good reason for the delay in Mrs X bringing the matter to the Ombudsman.