Family concern over Shropshire Council care fund spending
Tuesday 20th December 2011, 10:59AM GMT.
Shropshire Council has been accused of not carrying out changes recommended by the Ombudsman to how it charges for adult social care.
Glyn Banks, who claims he was put through 11 months of hell trying to negotiate funding for his mother while she stayed in a care home, said the council had still not acted, six months after the recommendations were announced. He has also called for a public enquiry.
Shropshire Council says it has already made a number of changes, as outlined by the Ombudsman’s report, relating to how long it takes to inform people of a funding decision and the processes around third party contributions.
Mr Banks, from Bridgnorth, took his case to the Ombudsman after being told his mother, Ivy, who was 90 at the time, might have to move from Innage Grange in January.
He was paying £487 a week from her savings from September 2008 until February 2010, but once she only had £23,000 left she was forced to look elsewhere for funding.
Mr Banks claimed Shropshire Council was not legally allowed to ask for more money and an assessment by a social worker revealed his mother should not be moved.
Mr Banks said he would now be going back to the Ombudsman as the council appeared to ‘to be continuing its unlawful policy’.
Mr Banks said MP Philip Dunne had also written to the leadership of Shropshire Council asking for clarification of the funding policy.
But Councillor Ann Hartley, cabinet member for health and well-being at Shropshire Council, said there had not been a systemic issue in respect to third party contributions.
“There have been relatively isolated examples, where the approach has not been in line with the policy of the council,” she said.
“The council has agreed a course of action with the Ombudsman to ensure that its systems and process were revised to avoid a reoccurrence of this nature.”
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