12-09-2004, 08:31 AM
A FAMILY has been awarded £30,000 compensation after town hall watchdogs ruled a council's social services department failed to provide adequate care for a teenager with severe learning difficulties.
A report out today by Local Government Ombudsman Patricia Thomas found "maladministration causing injustice" on the part of Bolton council after a complaint made two years ago by the mother of an 18-year-old boy who suffers from epilepsy and Fragile X syndrome, a form of autism that causes both mental and physical impairment.
She said he should be moved from a hospital's secure psychiatric ward to the community following the findings of a Mental Health Tribunal in February 2002.
She argued the hospital had no facilities for patients with learning disabilities and staff there were not familiar with the needs of people with severe autism.
But the report concluded that the council failed to move him for more than a year - meaning he was kept heavily sedated in the hospital.
Behaviour
The report also ruled the council failed to prepare him for the community from a special residential school.
The council said it would set up a project to look after the teenager and others, but it was not ready when the school asked the council to place him elsewhere.
The teenager, who cannot be named, was sectioned because of his behaviour within days of leaving the school.
The council agreed to Mrs Thomas' recommendations and will pay the boy's mother £10,000 and £20,000 to the teenager for his benefit and care.
He is now aged 20 and is successfully placed in the community.
Bolton council said "robust action" has been taken after the report.
A spokesman said: "We have expressed our sincere apologies and our very deep regret over what happened but we would like to assure people that this is not typical of the care and attention which people receive from Bolton's social services or partner organisations."
http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/news/s...e_rap.html
A report out today by Local Government Ombudsman Patricia Thomas found "maladministration causing injustice" on the part of Bolton council after a complaint made two years ago by the mother of an 18-year-old boy who suffers from epilepsy and Fragile X syndrome, a form of autism that causes both mental and physical impairment.
She said he should be moved from a hospital's secure psychiatric ward to the community following the findings of a Mental Health Tribunal in February 2002.
She argued the hospital had no facilities for patients with learning disabilities and staff there were not familiar with the needs of people with severe autism.
But the report concluded that the council failed to move him for more than a year - meaning he was kept heavily sedated in the hospital.
Behaviour
The report also ruled the council failed to prepare him for the community from a special residential school.
The council said it would set up a project to look after the teenager and others, but it was not ready when the school asked the council to place him elsewhere.
The teenager, who cannot be named, was sectioned because of his behaviour within days of leaving the school.
The council agreed to Mrs Thomas' recommendations and will pay the boy's mother £10,000 and £20,000 to the teenager for his benefit and care.
He is now aged 20 and is successfully placed in the community.
Bolton council said "robust action" has been taken after the report.
A spokesman said: "We have expressed our sincere apologies and our very deep regret over what happened but we would like to assure people that this is not typical of the care and attention which people receive from Bolton's social services or partner organisations."
http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/news/s...e_rap.html