Hounslow Council says sorry to man who spent 18 months sleeping on parents' sofa

Hounslow Council has admitted it was at fault after a man with mental health problems was forced to sleep on his parents’ sofa for 18 months because it failed to support him properly.

The finding that the council was at fault comes after an investigation by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, which found the council did not do enough to protect the man from potential harm, or support his parents adequately.

The council has agreed to the Ombudsman’s recommendations to apologise, pay compenastion to the family and make changes to its processes to avoid other people being affected in the same way.

The man, who cannot be identified, had lived in supported accommodation but because he was not receiving the right support, struggled with debt, lost weight and failed to keep medical appointments, the Ombudsman's report spelled out.

He also had difficulty keeping both himself and his room clean, and there were concerns he was being exploited at his voluntary work placement.

Professionals working with the man had noted their concerns for at least four years, but the council had not addressed them.

When the council did investigate in 2016, his accommodation was described as "almost derelict".

The council decided the best option was to surrender the man’s tenancy, and for him to live with his parents until an alternative could be found. But his parents disagreed as they said they did not have enough room for their son.

The family complained to the Ombudsman, who found that when the man moved to live with his parents, the council failed to develop a care and support plan for more than four months, leading to a break in the support he received.

The Ombudsman’s investigation also found the council did not assess the mother as the man's carer, despite the fact it knew he was only living with his parents because it had failed to provide him with the care he needed.

It knew the arrangement could break down quickly and it would take a long time to find accommodation elsewhere, but there was no evidence it considered alternatives or interim measures.

The Ombudsman’s investigation also criticised the council’s ability to access its care records, and its complaint handling after the family complained.

Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman Michael King said: "It is vitally important when a person with mental health needs moves from one authority to another that there is no break in support provision.

"In this case, the lack of support, both when the man was living independently, and once he had moved in with his parents, had a devastating impact on the man and his wider family.

"I welcome the council’s readiness to agree to the changes recommended and hope once implemented they will help ensure nobody else is affected in the same way."

The council has agreed to apologise to the family and pay the parents £1,000 for the "significant and avoidable" distress, time and trouble.

It will pay the son £2,500 for the significant and avoidable distress, risk of harm and loss of opportunities.

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman’s role is to remedy injustice and share learning from investigations to help improve public, and adult social care, services.

Hounslow Council issued a statement saying: "Hounslow Council takes full responsibility for the lack of support it provided in developing a care and support plan for the client in his supported accommodation and for the delay in dealing with the family’s complaints in relation to this issue.

"Supported accommodation allows people to rent or own their own home and receive the support they need to live as independently in the community as possible. The client’s needs must be assessed and a care and support plan agreed.

"The family, who made a complaint to the Local Government Ombudsman, contacted the council to protect their son from potential harm, and to support them adequately.

"Following the Ombudsman’s investigation, the council has agreed to pay compensation to the family, review its procedures and train staff to prevent other clients from experiencing the same issues."

Councillor Candice Atterton, the council's cabinet member for adults, social care and health, said: “Our delays caused this gentleman considerable stress and anxiety so we have apologised to the client and his family and have paid a financial remedy.

“Lessons have been learned and as a result of the LGO report, careful attention has been paid to ensure that adequate support is actioned following a placement breakdown and that the current needs of residents are recorded appropriately on our systems.

“We have also ensured that we are more robust as a department in responding to complaints and that the procedure is followed correctly in all cases."