Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council (22 013 779)

Statement Upheld Council tax 02-Apr-2023

Summary: Mr X complains the Council was at fault as officers gave him wrong information, so he was issued with a summons for non-payment of Council Tax causing distress. The Council has accepted it was at fault. It has already apologised to Mr X and taken action in recognition of the distress caused. So, we have completed our investigation.

Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council (22 010 732)

Report Upheld School transport 30-May-2023

Summary: Ms X complained the Council refused to cover transport costs for her son, Mr Y, to attend college and delayed considering her appeal, causing financial loss and distress.

Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council (21 018 703)

Statement Upheld Safeguarding 30-May-2023

Summary: We uphold Mrs K’s complaint about the care and treatment of her father Mr J. We found fault by the Council, the Mental Health Trust and the Practice in relation to some aspects of Mr J’s care. We recommend the organisations apologise and take action to address this. We have not found any fault by the organisations in relation to Mrs J’s care.

Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council (23 000 768)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 14-Aug-2023

Summary: Mrs X complained the Council did not provide alternative education for her daughter, Y, when she informed the Council Y would be out of school. Mrs X said Y has missed out on education. There was fault in the way the Council did not provide any education for two academic terms. Mrs X suffered frustration and Y missed out on education. The Council should apologise, make a financial payment and remind staff of the Council’s duty to children missing education.

Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council (23 007 795)

Statement Upheld Disabled children 04-Oct-2023

Summary: I uphold this complaint that the Council unreasonably denied the complainant the opportunity to escalate her complaint about its eligibility criteria for direct payments for disabled children. The Council has agreed to resolve the matter by offering the complainant the opportunity to escalate her complaint to Stage 2 of the statutory procedure for complaints about children’s services.

Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council (22 016 681)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 07-Mar-2024

Summary: Ms X complained the Council did not provide her daughter with services outlined in her Education, Health and Care Plan since January 2022. She also complained the Council did not provide her daughter with any education from May to November 2022. We found fault because the Council failed to deliver suitable education. Ms X suffered avoidable frustration and distress in getting the issues resolved and her daughter missed out on education she should have received. To remedy the injustice caused, the Council has agreed to apologise and make a payment to Ms X.

Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council (23 005 729)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 20-Mar-2024

Summary: Ms X complains the Council delayed issuing a final amended Education Health and Care Plan for her son in 2022 and 2023 and failed to ensure his 1:1 support and occupational therapy provision was provided between September 2022 and April 2023 causing distress and uncertainty. We found fault by the Council as it delayed issuing a final amended Education Health and Care Plan within statutory timescales in 2022 and 2023. The Council failed to ensure Y received the 1:1 provision specified in his Education Health and Care Plan between September 2022 and April 2023. And the Council failed to amend the Education Health and Care Plan to reflect its intention to remove direct occupational therapy sessions. We have recommended a suitable remedy so have completed our investigation.

Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council (23 013 736)

Statement Upheld Residential care 25-Mar-2024

Summary: There was fault by the Council’s care provider, Akari Care. It failed to keep complete and contemporaneous records. It did not establish what had happened at the first stage of its complaint response. It did not provide care to Mr X when he became distressed. This caused distress to Mr X and his friend who represents him. The Council has agreed to remedy the injustice caused.