A disabled man who waited 19 months for his shower to be adapted has been paid compensation. A council was found to be at fault after the tenant suffered several falls as he struggled to use the shower, which was unsuitable for his needs.
A social care ombudsman ordered the council to hand over £1,500 to the man and his daughter after they found there were unacceptable delays in making the adaptations under a disabled facilities grant which was the responsibility of the local authority. An investigation report said 'Miss B' first contacted the council in January 2021 as her father, 'Mr C' was struggling to use his shower due to a disability.
A report detailing the ombudsman findings said an occupational therapist assessed his needs the following week and noted 'Mr C' was having difficulty accessing his shower because it had a step and he struggled to grip items. She recommended provision of a level access shower and associated works to create a wet room for 'Mr C,' MEN reports.
By July 2021, a surveyor had visited the home and drawn up plans for the bathroom adaptations which 'Mr C' quickly approved, as did the therapist. However, a series of delays between Bolton Council, the landlord Bolton at Home and contractors meant that the disability grant adaptations were not completed until July 2022, around 19 months after Miss B’s initial enquiry.
The ombudsman, said: “He had to struggle for far longer than he should have with an unsuitable shower that over time was posing more of a health and safety risk to him. There were around three to four weeks in June 2022 when Miss B must have felt abandoned by the council as emails went unanswered.
“I find a surveyor’s unexpected absence contributed to this and so there was no bad faith on the part of the council. But even so, the service fell short of what Miss B might have reasonably expected. So, its actions contributed some additional distress, on top of what was already a stressful situation caused by the actions of the contractor.”
Government guidance says a council should decide a disabled grant application as soon as reasonably practicable. Time-scales for moving through the stages depend on the urgency and complexity of the works required but the guidance says non-urgent and complex works should be completed in 180 working days.
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The ombudsman ordered Bolton Council to pay 'Mr C' £1,200 to recognise the distress and difficulties he experienced while waiting for the works to complete and pay 'Miss B' £300 in recognition of the distress and raised expectations she experienced because of the wrong advice she received on time-scales.
A spokesperson for Bolton Council said: “The council has listened carefully to the Ombudsman’s findings, and we have apologised to everyone involved in this case for the distress caused. As an organisation, we take every opportunity to learn and improve the services we deliver for our residents. Appropriate steps have already been taken and measures are now in place to prevent similar incidents in the future.”
