Mr A complained that the Council failed to take appropriate action to meet his social care needs following the completion of a Stage 2 complaints investigation in June 2023.
The Ombudsman noted that mitigating factors which had made it harder for the Council to meet Mr A’s unmet needs were still relevant after June 2023. However, the Ombudsman was concerned that there had been a missed opportunity after June 2023 to engage more effectively with Mr A’s concerns about the recommendations of the Stage 2 investigation report. As a result, there was a delay in arranging a re-assessment of Mr A’s needs and implementing efforts to explore ways of meeting his unmet needs.
The Ombudsman considered that it was appropriate to discontinue the investigation on the basis that the Council agreed to carry out the following actions, within 1 month, to rebuild the relationship of trust with Mr A: a) Write to Mr A to apologise for the failure to engage effectively with him in relation to his concerns about the recommendations of the Stage 2 investigation report, and for the resulting delay in arranging a re-assessment of his needs.
b) Offer Mr A the opportunity for a meeting with the Director of Social Services, to take place following the completion of the re-assessment of his needs.