Oldham Council has agreed to pay £500 compensation to a man who complained to the local government ombudsman about proposals to increase charges for care services used by his wife.
Mr Howard (not his real name), was paying £1 for his wife, who has dementia, to use a day centre. Under the new scheme he would have been forced to pay £46.
The ombudsman found that a consultation letter sent to service users on new charges for care services was “extremely difficult to understand, complex and unfocussed”.
It adds that it was hard for people to know what they were being consulted, which was “exceptionally ill-considered” because the letter was going to very vulnerable people.
Executive director for adult and community services Veronica Jackson said: “We regret any inconvenience or upset caused to anyone who uses our services.”
She added that the council was consulting service users about changes made in 2005 and also proposed changes to the charging policies for 2007.
Oldham Council: complaint over wife’s care charges upheld by ombudsman
More from Community Care
Related articles:
Job of the week
Workforce Insights
Family help: one local authority’s experience of the model
‘We are all one big family’: how one council has built a culture of support
‘I spent the first three months listening’: how supportive leadership can transform children’s services
How senior leaders in one authority maintain a culture of excellence
How staff support ensures fantastic outcomes for children and families
Workforce Insights – showcasing a selection of the sector’s top recruiters
Comments are closed.