Ms B complained about whether the care and support provided to her daughter was appropriate and in accordance with her assessed needs and about the way Vale of Glamorgan Council (“the Council”) responded to a complaint regarding this.
The Ombudsman found that whilst much positive work was undertaken to provide appropriate care and support, there was an avoidable delay in assessing Ms B’s daughter’s needs during 2023. This meant that opportunities were missed to identify her changed care and support needs earlier. This is an injustice to her and Ms B. To this extent Ms B’s complaint was upheld.
Additionally, the Council did not respond appropriately to Ms B’s complaint, specifically her request for a Stage 2 response. This part of Ms B’s complaint was upheld.
The Council accepted the Ombudsman’s recommendations. It agreed to apologise to Ms B for the failings identified by the investigation. It also agreed to remind relevant officers of the requirements in respect of Care and Support Plan reviews, ensure that all relevant officers are familiar with guidance on handling complaints and what constitutes a complaint and to contact Ms B to establish which issues she considers to be unresolved and take appropriate action to address these.