Hounslow Council Failed to Act on Concerns About Disabled Man's Care
No investigation made into supported living facility
Hounslow House
December 23, 2024
A disabled man was accidentally left on a bus, had his windows locked shut due to a fault and had heating being pumped into his room even on summer days, his family claims. The man, named only as Mr Y, was in a supported living facility having been placed there by Hounslow Council.
After a complaint was made to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, it was found that Hounslow Council ‘failed to act decisively’ in investigating complaints about the standard of care at the facility, which was outside the borough. The local authority will now have to make a payment of £500 to the man’s family, remind officers of the need to investigate concerns, and review its stance on investigating ‘quality alerts’.
The council was found at fault for causing avoidable distress and uncertainty to the family who raised concerns about the treatment of their vulnerable family member residing at the facility. The report states that Mr X, the name given to the vulnerable man’s relative, initially raised concerns about Mr Y’s treatment in November 2023. Mr Y, who has a number of physical disabilities, had been living at the facility between November 2022 and May 2024 and had missed several physiotherapy appointments.
He also reportedly suffered neglect in care, unsafe conditions such as locked windows, and constant heating even throughout summer months. The home was also understaffed which meant these issues were exacerbated, the report found.
The council met with the concerned family members in December 2023 to discuss the issues raised. In response, they agreed to waive the financial contributions to care from Mr X until a new facility could be found. The council advised the family a ‘quality alert’ had been raised about the care issues reported by the family.
In response to the council, the facility disputed a number of the claims, stating that Mr Y’s physio had been arranged by the family and delivered online, and faulty locks were changed soon after his arrival. Notably, they also mention that Mr Y had been ‘accidentally left on a bus when not following staff instructions’, however no complaint had been raised at the time.
The Ombudsman found that the council had not investigated the facility swiftly following the complaints. Reports show the council do not investigate quality alerts against care providers outside of their borough, even if they are placing Hounslow residents in their care.
The council told the Ombudsman that they were ‘already aware of this provider and had stopped using it earlier this year.’ In response the Ombudsman said: “This should have happened regardless of whether Mr Y wanted to move and the provider being out of area. The council still had a duty to ensure the care being delivered to Mr Y was of an appropriate standard in line with the fundamental standards of care.”
The council will now pay the family a symbolic £500, apologise for their failures, and review its procedures on investigating quality alerts swiftly. Councillor Lily Bath, Hounslow Council’s Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, Public Health and Health Integration said: “We have apologised to the family for the service provided and fully agree with the findings of the Local Government Ombudsman. We have reminded staff on the need to act promptly when concerns are raised about our care providers and have reviewed our policy on quality alerts in light of this report.”
Philip James Lynch - Local Democracy Reporter