A man faced distress and financial loss due to council errors in social services, leading to a compensation order.
West Yorkshire: A man, known as Mr. Y, had a tough time with his local council. He was left feeling frustrated and worried about his living situation because of delays and constant changes in social workers.
Calderdale Council has been told to pay him £250 for the trouble he went through. Mr. Y, who has learning disabilities and other challenges, reached out to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman after facing issues with getting the support he needed.
The Ombudsman found that the council messed up in handling Mr. Y’s case. They pointed out that while there were some valid reasons for the delays, the council still didn’t treat him fairly.
Mr. Y’s complaints included the council frequently changing his social worker and taking too long to finalize his care plan. This was really important for him to get the help he needed for housing after a previous arrangement fell through.
He told the Ombudsman that all these problems caused him a lot of stress and financial strain. The Ombudsman noted that Mr. Y needs a lot of support due to his past behaviors, and many professionals are involved in helping him manage his finances and care.
While the council generally responded to his requests, there were times when they didn’t pass on information properly, which led to Mr. Y facing extra costs for accommodation.
After a care assessment in August 2023, there was a plan in place, but it wasn’t finalized, which the Ombudsman said was a mistake, though it didn’t cause major issues.
In the end, the Ombudsman found that the council did have some faults regarding housing, even if the case was complicated.
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