Kirklees ordered to pay compensation

Kirklees Council has been ordered to pay £5,000 to the parents
of a boy with severe mobility problems and review its complaints
procedure.

The decision followed an investigation by the local government
ombudsman who found maladministration causing injustice.

The parents had complained to Kirklees that it had failed to
respond adequately to their request for help to meet their son’s
needs.

The ombudsman, Patricia Thomas, found there had been long-running
confusion over what action was in the family’s best interest. The
council had failed to ensure that the parents were kept informed or
advised and had not responded properly to their complaint.

Thomas found that there had been unnecessary and unreasonable delay
and the final response was inadequate.