Council miss care compensation payment deadline

Westmorland and Furness Council were told to pay more compensation to a family (file image)

A care watchdog has ordered a council to pay more compensation to a family, after it missed a payment deadline.

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman gave Westmorland and Furness Council a month to pay £1,000 to a man it provided care to and £500 to his mother, after a complaint was upheld.

But four months later, the money was still unpaid, prompting the pair to complain again and the ombudsman to order a further £250 compensation each.

The council has been approached for comment.

The mother, referred to as Mrs B in the decision papers, told the ombudsman she was frustrated and upset by the council's failure to pay.

She added it showed the authority was "still refusing to accept any accountability", and added she feared it meant it "had not learnt any lessons" from her complaint.

The ombudsman said the council's failure to comply with the order in the timeframe had added to the pair's distress.

'Not an apology'

The initial complaint centred around care provided to the man, referred to as Mr D, by an agency, a lack of clarity in Mr D’s care plan and the agency’s response to allegations made against Mrs B.

As well as the financial compensation, the council was ordered to send a letter of apology to Mrs B and Mr D, acknowledging its faults.

But Mrs B said the letter was sent to her alone and said it failed to address all the complaints.

The ombudsman document said: "[Mrs B] said that an apology letter to her was not an apology letter to Mr D.

"She felt that the council should have sent a letter to Mr D directly, in language that he could understand and that its failure to do this showed that the council still did not understand Mr D’s needs."

As well as the additional £250 payment each, the ombudsman ordered Westmorland and Furness Council to write a letter of apology to Mr D and review its procedures to ensure they implemented orders.