Essex County Council (14 012 127)
Summary
Complaint from a man, on his late uncle's behalf, that the council failed to respond properly when alerted to safeguarding concerns his family and a care home had after a woman befriended him.
The complaint
Complaint from a man, on his late uncle's behalf, that the council failed to respond properly when alerted to safeguarding concerns his family and a care home had after a woman befriended him.
Finding
The Ombudsman upheld the complaint and found fault causing injustice.
Recommendations
To remedy the injustice caused, within two months of the date of this report, and in addition to the offer the council has already made to pay the man £250, reimburse care home charges from April to August 2002 and reimburse withdrawals from the uncle's account from December, it should:
- pay Mr P's estate £4,285.03 which equals the unexplained regular withdrawals taken from his bank account between November 2012 and February 2013;
- provide the man with a written apology for the fault identified; and
- pay the man £150 for the distress caused and the considerable time and trouble to which he was put pursuing this complaint.
Ombudsman satisified with council's response: 17 May 2016