Ombudsman slams Trafford council over failure to house disabled woman

The Local Government Ombudsman has recommended Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council pay the parents of a disabled woman around £80,000 after they failed to provide appropriate accommodation for her.

Mr and Mrs Kaye (not their real names) have been forced to care for their daughter at home since August 2005 because the council has not provided a suitable placement.

They complained that the council failed to meet the needs of their daughter Daisy (not her real name) after it failed to address their concerns about an adult centre placement which they rejected.

Ombudsman Anne Seex found maladministration and has recommended the council pay £1,000 per week for every week the couple has cared for their daughter at home, plus  £3,000 for their distress, anxiety and trouble in pursuing the complaint with the council.

Seex has also recommended that the council produces an action plan and reports to the Ombudsman every six months on their progress.

Trafford Council’s executive director of community services and social care Mike Cooney said: “Our main concern is the well-being of Daisy. We recognise our responsibility in this matter and have tried hard to discharge our duties and responsibilities for Daisy and her family.”

“We accept we could have done better and we have already apologized to the family for our shortcomings,” he added.