The Conservative Group on Cornwall Council has reacted to the release of a report by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman following a complaint from a Cornish woman who was left without the support she needed after the council told her she could not pay her daughter to care for her.
The woman, who has significant and complex needs, had been using her direct payments to pay her daughter to provide care for her. But Cornwall Council told the family this was not allowed because the daughter lived with her.
The Ombudsman’s investigation found the council at fault for stopping the mother’s direct payments without carrying out a needs and carer assessment or identifying an agency that could take over the care provided by the daughter.
Cornwall Council agreed to apologise to the woman and her daughter and pay the daughter an amount equivalent to that which she would have received had the council continued to pay for her for the care she provided between January 2019 and February 2020.
It has also agreed to review the mother’s circumstances and decide if it should allow her a direct payment to pay her daughter to arrange care and pay the mother and daughter £500 each for the distress they have suffered.
Commenting, Conservative Group Leader Cllr Linda Taylor, said:
“We are very concerned about the cavalier way in which Cornwall Council stopped the mother’s direct payments without carrying out a needs and carer assessment or identifying an agency that could take over the care provided by the daughter. This has rightly led to the Council being found at fault.”
“All residents have the right to respect and dignity and to be assured that due process and diligence is carried out. Lessons must be learned and we will be asking for those guarantees from the Liberal Democrat/Independent Administration that currently runs the council. In line with the motto of Cornwall, we must never forget that Cornwall Council is here to look after one and all.”
