Hackney Council has paid £2,500 to a disabled man and his family after the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) found the council's failures caused significant delays in moving him into supported living. The man, referred to as Mr X, is non-verbal and has learning disabilities that render him unable to make key decisions for himself.
Family on the brink of breakdown
His sister, Miss X, had approached Hackney Council about moving him from a day centre he had attended three days a week for several years, where he was no longer making progress. The family wanted to support him toward more independent living. The council recognised an urgent need to act, as Miss X and their mother, Mrs X, were caring for him to the point of being on the verge of a “breakdown.”
Despite this urgency, Mr X was not moved for another 18 months. During this period, the Ombudsman found the council made several errors and decisions that created delays, causing the family injustice. The crisis forced Miss X to put her own life on hold to care for and advocate for her brother.
Ombudsman criticises council's failures
Even though the council faced a shortage of vacancies for supported living arrangements, the Ombudsman concluded it could have and should have dealt with the case sooner. The council took several months to review Mr X’s circumstances, and he had not had a care assessment since 2019, breaching statutory guidance that these should take place annually.
The watchdog also criticised the council for initially refusing to directly pay for Mr X to employ his mother as his personal assistant, a decision later reversed. The law allows such arrangements where “strictly necessary.” When the council rejected the request, officers cited his mother's health and the availability of care outside his home.
Neglect concerns during temporary placement
While struggling to find a suitable new placement, the council arranged a week-long stay in another local authority setting. But his family feared he had been neglected after discovering he did not shower or change his clothes throughout his stay. The hosting council later triggered a safeguarding inquiry into the incident.
Despite being asked by the watchdog, Hackney Council failed to show evidence that it checked whether the care provider was suitable for non-verbal adults with complex needs. Mr X’s care and support plan was issued in February 2025, though the council mistakenly included his late father’s phone number as the primary care contact. He was not moved into a supported living placement until February 2026.
Compensation and corrective actions
The Ombudsman concluded that Hackney “should have identified and contracted a suitable care provider much sooner.” The council had already offered £1,000 in compensation for the delays, along with one-off direct payments to both carers for a spa day. The watchdog asked the council to pay a further £500 to Mr X, his mother, and his sister, bringing the total payout to £2,500.
The Ombudsman said the family deserved an apology and a further symbolic payment for the unjust refusal of the direct payment request. Hackney has since agreed to explain how it vetted the suitability of the care provider and to improve training for all assessment staff to prevent wrongful payment refusals from happening again.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) contacted Hackney Council for comment, but the council did not reply in time for publication.
