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A complaint that a refusal to re-house a carer nearer her mother uncovered a conflict between a council's policies on social services and housing. Graham Hopkins reports.

Mandy Todd is an unassuming middle-aged woman. She is one of the country's estimated 5.7 million informal carers, without whom already over-stretched social services departments would simply snap. Indeed, Todd had never asked for any help from social services.

Todd cares for her disabled mother who lives on the same council estate in Scunthorpe. However, her mother lived a 10-minute walk away. Todd would visit four or five times a day. Travelling took up to an hour and a half out of her day - and added to the ordinary stress of home life with a shift-working husband and two teenage children.

During one visit she noticed that a house opposite her mother's was empty. She applied to move but was turned down on the grounds that she was "adequately housed" and didn't qualify for a move on the council's points system (points are awarded based on housing need). This disappointment turned to upset when she read in the local paper about the council's commitment to supporting carers. Todd didn't feel too supported. And, for the first time in her life, she complained.

Council departments realise they get things wrong but would claim to be "learning organisations" - in that they are willing to learn from mistakes or comments. It is this desire towards improvement that can be to staff such a great selling point for complaints procedures. Thus rather than crafting negative or blame-filled procedures, they can be positive and influential.

But the reality does not always reflect this. Complaints can drag on and little changes except the worsening of staff attitudes toward complaints. How refreshing then that Mandy Todd's complaint met with a helpful response by North Lincolnshire social and housing services department.

"It's not just processing complaints - a lot of my work is taking the information from complaints and using it positively - and turning it into service development, really," says Debbie Fagan, liaison and complaints officer for housing services in the recently merged joint directorate. The "liaison" part of the job title reflects an understanding that housing is not just bricks and mortar but accommodates health, education, and social services. "It is about linking in with others and making things work," adds Fagan.

"Basically, Mandy Todd's complaint was that the council was saying one thing in one breath and then something else in another," she says. "In our long-term care charter Better Care, Higher Standards, we had pledged that social services would support carers." The council, however, because of the costs involved, did not operate a "like for like" transfer policy (unless through mutual exchange).

"We have a notification system," continues Fagan, "that where issues are raised about conflicting policy I will notify the director who will then automatically instruct a review of the policies. And that's what he did."

Fagan and housing colleagues looked at how the allocations and transfer policy could work in the favour of carers. "We came up with a scheme in which anybody who was in receipt of the full carers' allowance would get additional points on the allocation scheme," she says.

While this policy change was making its way through the system, the house Todd had wanted was allocated to a homeless family. However, another house very nearby became vacant soon afterwards. And under the new scheme with her boosted carers points, Todd was allocated the house. "It's been great," she says, "now mum even comes to us for dinner sometimes."

It has sparked a new lease of life for Todd who has now discovered a carers support group which sponsors trips and activities, such as painting water colours. She points to her accomplished effort: "First time I've ever done anything like that," she says, with a broad stroke of surprise in her voice.

It was the same with her complaint. Sometimes you can never know the potential until you try.

Background

Scheme: transfer points for full-time carers in housing allocations.

Location: North Lincolnshire.

Staffing: complaints and liaison officer.

Inspiration: a complaint about conflicting housing and social services policy.

Cost: normal staff time.

Resources

For more information call Debbie Fagan on 01724 296 426 or e-mail: Debbie_Fagan@northlincs.gov.uk  

Housing allocations policy and annual complaints report available free of charge.