Care of disabled man criticised

Council officials have been heavily criticised in a report into treatment of a disabled man whose family was left to fight for help for 18 months.

Kirklees Council was "insensitive and disrespectful" in decisions in the case of "Mr H" who went into hospital with cancer and left severely disabled.

Local Government Ombudsman Anne Seex ordered the council to pay thousands of pounds in compensation.

The council said it was carrying out a "root and branch" review of its system.

Unexpected paralysis

In her report, Ms Seex said Mr H, who is in his 20s, was discharged from hospital, but it took Kirklees Council more than 18 months to agree a scheme and funding for the adaptations to his home to meet the family's needs.

Mr H became quadriplegic while being treated in hospital for leukaemia, the report said.

He lived at home with his parents, older sister and foster brother, who has special needs. Mr H is unable to move and dependent on his parents for 24-hour care and all his physical needs.

The family had to battle against apparently impenetrable, insensitive and disrespectful decisions and processes Ombudsman Anne Seex

The report outlined how he had difficulties with swallowing and breathing, and the traumatic experience of sudden and unexpected paralysis during hospital treatment had left him emotionally vulnerable.

He can sit for short periods in a wheelchair but is unable to socialise outside the home.

Mr H's family applied to the council to have adaptations to their home to meet his needs and those of the foster child.

Ms Seex said in her report: "The council's response and practice was appalling."

She said the council had failed to provide written information and explanations about the adaptations process at an early stage.

Officials failed to provide a single point of contact; failed to respect the views of the family; failed to consider the needs of the foster child; and took more than 18 months to agree a scheme and funding for adaptations to meet Mr H's needs and those of the foster child.

'Unreasonable restriction'

The Ombudsman said in her report: "They not only had to come to terms with Mr H becoming paralysed, but also had to battle against apparently impenetrable, insensitive and disrespectful decisions and processes, and had the worry of how to finance work necessary to give Mr H an appropriate quality of life.

The Ombudsman recommended that Kirklees Council should pay Mr H £7,000 to reflect the unreasonable restriction on his day-to-day life, including his social contact, caused by its delay.

She said his parents should be paid £70 per week for each week from the date 20 weeks after he left hospital until when the adaptations were completed, to reflect their struggle to provide care to Mr H without the necessary facilities and space.

Ms Seex also said a senior council official should apologise to Mr H and his family through a personal visit.

In a statement the council said it had already taken action, and would be taking further action on the recommendations in the Ombudsman's report.

This included payment of compensation, a personal apology and a "root and branch" review of practices in the adaptations service.