Ombudsman backs mental health worker

Local government ombudsman Patricia Thomas has rejected a
complaint against East Riding of Yorkshire council from a woman
about the way her compulsory admission to a psychiatric ward was
dealt with.

A complaint by Ms Beech (not her real name) that an approved
social worker employed by the council had acted improperly in
applying for an order to compulsorily admit her to a psychiatric
ward was not upheld.

Ms Beech also complained that information in East Riding
council’s files was inaccurate and the council delayed dealing with
her complaints.

Thomas’s report of the investigation into the complaint says: “I
acknowledge firstly Ms Beech’s deep and continuing unhappiness
about the decision which was made to detain her under a section of
the Mental Health ActÉ I have found no evidence to suggest
that the ASW acted in any way improperly in the way in which she
conducted her assessment of Ms Beech.”

The ombudsman’s report also added that she was satisfied that
the council acted as promptly and efficiently as it could in
dealing with Ms Beech’s complaint in the face of a “complex joint
procedure with the NHS Trust”.