Council Apologises to Families After Complaints Upheld
Worcestershire County Council acknowledges failures affecting vulnerable children
Worcestershire, UK, Council, Complaints, Vulnerable Children, Ombudsman
Worcestershire: So, there’s been a bit of a mess with the local council. Two vulnerable kids faced some serious issues because of council blunders. One child missed out on over five terms of school and two years of therapy. Can you believe that?
Another child with disabilities was stuck in a not-so-great living situation for way too long, which really stressed out their family. It’s just heartbreaking to hear.
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman looked into these complaints and told Worcestershire County Council to cough up some compensation for the families. It’s about time, right?
One councillor even mentioned that these cases might just be the “tip of the iceberg.” It sounds like there are more folks out there dealing with poor service.
At a council meeting, Marcus Hart, who’s in charge of corporate services, stepped up to apologize on behalf of the council. He said it’s important to own up when they mess up, which is fair enough.
He reassured everyone that most of the time, they do get things right, but it’s crucial to learn from these mistakes. Cllr Hart promised that they’d tackle all the recommendations from the Ombudsman within three months.
Another councillor, Lynn Denham, pointed out that every case that goes to the ombudsman is serious. She mentioned that the council has had more referrals than many others, which is a bit worrying.
Last July, the ombudsman had already warned the council about their slow complaint handling for the fifth year in a row. They upheld 23 complaints against the council in the year leading up to March 2024. It’s clear they need to step up their game.