Council apologises and pays £1,200 to disabled Luton teen's family after failing to adapt house

The 19-year-old has severe global developmental delay, and is unable to speak or walk, according to a report by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.

Mr D, as he is referred to, came to the UK in May 2017 to join his family, who lived in a three-bedroom property.

Luton Borough Council assessed his needs in July 2017 and provided him with a support plan, while an occupational therapist carried out a risk assessment.

The family’s landlord wanted them to move out, so they needed urgent housing, explained the ombudsman.

The council found a house which had been extended to be suitable for a disabled person, which they moved into in December 2017.

The local authority then provided Mr D with an updated support plan in April 2018.

“An occupational therapist carried out a risk assessment in May 2018 because his father raised concerns the house and the adaptations didn’t meet the teenager’s needs,” said the ombudsman.

“She recommended the council extended the ground floor to accommodate the family, and install a hoist in his bedroom.

“Two occupational therapists and a housing department employee visited on September 27th, 2018 to decide whether the family’s property could be extended.”

The ombudsman investigated the council’s actions relating to its social care duties.

Legislation sets out its duties towards adults who require care and support, while the local authority also has its own policies.

Disabled facilities grants (DFG) can be provided under legislation, while councils have a statutory duty to provide grant aid to disabled people for certain adaptations.

The guidance says it is not acceptable that the disabled person should be left without interim help for a period of weeks or months.

His father listed several complaints, including:

> Mr D needed a different bed as there was a risk he could trap his limbs.

> The house was unsuitable for the family’s needs;

> The house needed to be extended.

The investigation focused on whether there was any unnecessary and avoidable delay over these objections.

“There was a lack of focus in progressing the matter,” added the ombudsman.

“From early in 2018, there should have been an assessment to determine what equipment and adaptations were required to meet his needs.

“Or the council should have explained to his father that he could make his own DFG grant application. The local authority did neither and this was fault.

“The occupational therapist said in May 2018 a hoist would be beneficial and that she’d request one.

“It appears the council took no further action about this because it could wait until the extension was built, which was fault.

“After the May 2018 assessment, there was delay between June and October 2018 when the council didn’t progress the bed issue and this was fault.

“There was also fault in the council’s failure to progress the application for interim adaptations between May and September 2018, when it wasn’t known whether the extension would be approved.”

The local authority has appointed an occupational therapy team manager which will allow greater oversight.

It will review its policies on adaptations to consider providing timescales within the policies.