Decision Report 201801180

Summary

Mr C complained about the assessment and subsequent care package offered in respect of his son (Mr A). Mr C moved from another local authority area where he was in receipt of a package of care for Mr A. Following an assessment of Mr  A's needs after he moved to Edinburgh, Mr A was awarded a significantly reduced budget. Mr C disagreed with the amount of funding provided and complained that there was a lack of transparency about the assessment and decision-making process.

The council explained that different local authorities will have different eligibility criteria, therefore, it is likely that they will not receive the same level of funding. The council also acknowledged that the package of care perhaps did not meet Mr A's needs and that they could have elaborated further on the reason for their decision.

We took independent advice from a social worker. We did not find any evidence of maladministration in the fact that the council had a different eligibility criteria and threshold for funding compared to the other local authority. However, we did find that there was a lack of transparency in terms of the council's assessment and decision-making process and that this was not in line with national guidance. Therefore, we upheld Mr C's complaint. We noted that the council have taken reasonable steps to review and improve their procedures and they also reviewed Mr A's assessment, therefore, we did not make any further recommendations.