South Gloucestershire Council has failed almost a third of families with SEND (special educational needs and disability) children in need of respite care, according to the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO). The LGO launched an investigation after the parents of a disabled girl filed a complaint when they did not receive respite care for 13 months. The watchdog also found the council had failed 30 households whose members did not receive some or any of their respite care. The service enables families with specific needs to take a break from caring responsibilities.
The authority has apologised and taken the findings on board, promising to address the problem as a matter of urgency. The LGO ordered £6,000 compensation to the parents of the disabled girl, concluding the failings caused “significant physical and emotional consequences” for her family.
South Gloucestershire Council has agreed to pay the compensation and has since been providing support to more families in need. However, the council still faces issues with meeting its commitments to some families, despite an action plan being in place that will be discussed at cabinet level next month.
Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman Paul Najsarek criticised the council for not providing “vital respite support” for too long. While he recognised the council’s difficulty in finding appropriate material support locally, he said the watchdog’s findings should have been enough to spur the council into taking more effective action. Songlin Mei, BBC News online editor, reports that the BBC was unable to reach South Gloucestershire Council officials for further comment
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