Hillingdon Council has faced a storm of negative attention for its choice to illegally reduce Mr. B’s care support. This three-month blunder has rightly alarmed many about the council’s management of care services. This decision had far-reaching and serious consequences for Mr. B, who has a learning disability and suffered considerable distress in this time. The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman labeled the council’s actions as a fault, stating that they failed to meet Mr. B’s care needs from mid-June 2023 to mid-September 2023.
Fast forward to August 2023, Mr. B contacted the council again. He had reported his shared housing resident as bullying him. Despite this very valid concern, Hillingdon Council had stopped Mr. B’s care in June, cutting off critical support. The ombudsman’s lengthy investigation and report showed that the absence of appropriate treatment left Mr. B dangerously exposed at a decisive moment.
In August Mr. B had a learning disability assessment. These results confirmed what we already knew. He not only has a learning disability, but has very low working memory and problem solving abilities. These findings underscored the importance of the care support he previously received, which included seven hours of assistance each week with meals, housework, shopping, and appointments.
In the report, the council was found to have not done enough to care for Mr B from mid-June until mid-September. This fault led to immeasurable emotional pain and confusion for him, leaving him without access to the support he was required to have. After this ruling, a re-evaluation by Hillingdon Council in the beginning of September led to the restoration of Mr. B’s care. The council accepted that it had failed in the past, adding, “Hillingdon Council is now able to recognize how his learning disability impacts him.”
Hillingdon Council has a set of firm principles that they have stood up for. To resolve Mr. B’s legal complaint, they have paid him £300 in compensation for the distress their actions caused. A council spokesperson said, “We have already apologised to and compensated the complainant for the failures it identified. As an organisation, we regularly review internal processes, such as how we assess eligibility of care, to ensure we best serve residents and meet their needs.”
In early May 2024, the council took another look. They learned that Mr. B was non-verbal, with significant difficulties receiving and processing spoken language. This continuous assessment highlights the urgent need for customized assistance to those with learning disabilities.
