National Ombudsmen
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Cheshire East Council fail to inform vulnerable man’s parents of care plan

Parents of a vulnerable adult should be involved in their local council’s care plan for their son, the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) has recommended.

The LGO has issued a public report on Cheshire East Council, after the authority failed to act upon a previous decision made by the LGO last year.

The couple complained that Cheshire East Council failed to follow previous LGO recommendations to complete a comprehensive reassessment of their son, who is 50 and has Asperger Syndrome and mental health problems.

The couple returned to the LGO saying this recommendation had not been carried out. They were also concerned that the council was deliberately excluding them from any meaningful involvement in their son’s care and treatment.

Dr Jane Martin, Local Government Ombudsman said:

“I am disappointed that Cheshire East Council failed to take on board my recommendations after my first decision last year, and it is only now that they have pledged to carry them out.

“However, the council has now agreed to involve the family in their son’s care planning and has agreed to reassess their son’s needs.”

Following the LGO investigation, Cheshire East Council has agreed to apologise to the couple and undertake a comprehensive reassessment of the couple’s son under the Care Programme Approach with colleagues in the Mental Health team.

The council will also pay the couple £500 in acknowledgement of the unnecessary time and inconvenience they have been put to in pursuing the complaint.

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