Wandsworth council has apologised to a homeless mother after placing her in unsuitable accommodation two hours away from her disabled child’s school.

At first, the mother – who also has mobility issues – and her family was placed in a flat which was accessed via a rusted external staircase in September 2021. At one point the mother slipped down the stairs that were still icy while carrying a younger child. The council’s own children’s services department described the stairs as ‘treacherous’.

The family was moved to a second interim property, but this was also a long way from the child’s school – which was named in his Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan. The school raised its concerns about the impact the long days were having on the child. It noted his attendance had reduced and he was often late, missing core subject learning.

The family was offered a more suitable property in the borough in November 2022, but this was not ready for her to move into until May 2023.

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman’s investigation into the woman’s complaint found significant delays by the council when deciding whether it owed the main housing duty to the family. It also found the council failed to properly assess the family’s housing need – and neglected to ask about the child’s special educational needs (SEN) or his EHC Plan when deciding where to place them.

It also failed to properly assess whether either property was suitable for the family, and whether it considered the distance to the children’s school, or the impact of the boy’s SEN, on that journey.

Paul Najsarek, Local Government and Social care Ombudsman said:

“When assessing families’ homelessness situations, it’s really important that councils look at the circumstances in their entirety and take into account any medical or special educational needs, before deciding the interim or temporary accommodation offered.

“In this case, I am particularly concerned about the lack of joined-up working between the council’s homelessness and education teams.

“While I appreciate suitable accommodation is difficult to find for families, particularly in London, at no point did the council consider offering the family transport to get the child to school, which may have gone some way to alleviating the pressure on them. And in fact when the mother did apply, the council refused to consider her application because she was living in another council’s area.

“I am pleased the council has accepted the recommendations in my report, and hope the valuable lessons gained from this family’s poor experience will help ensure other homeless families’ situations are considered more holistically in future.”

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman remedies injustice and shares learning from investigations to help improve public, and adult social care, services. In this case the council has agreed to apologise to the mother and pay her £10,000 for the injustice caused by its failings. It will also pay her a further £3,800 to reflect the additional costs she had getting her children to school.

The Ombudsman has the power to make recommendations to improve processes for the wider public. In this case the council has agreed to share the lessons from the investigation with its housing and homelessness staff and remind relevant staff of the need to properly consider the applicant’s housing needs when carrying out an assessment.

It will also review its processes and remind staff about the many lessons learned from this case, including around suitability of accommodation, home to school transport, and transferring children’s EHC Plans to receiving authorities.

Article date: 25 January 2024

L’iniziativa illustrata nel corso di una conferenza stampa con la partecipazione di Giancarlo Giulianelli, della Direttrice degli istituti penitenziari di Ancona, Manuela Ceresani, e del Direttore artistico del festival Ezio Nannipieri

Al via “La casa in riva al mare” il nuovo progetto del Garante regionale Giancarlo Giulianelli che va a inserirsi nell’ambito di Musicultura, il festival della canzone popolare e d’autore. L’iniziativa offre ad un gruppo di detenuti dell’istituto penitenziario di Ancona l’opportunità di partecipare a laboratori musicali, curati dall’associazione Musicultura.

Nel corso della conferenza stampa di presentazione, Giulianelli ha evidenziato come questi eventi rappresentino “un momento importante sul versante della rieducazione del detenuto, un confronto aperto, uno spazio dove trasformare il tempo perso in opportunità, in partecipazione. E’ una filosofia che ci accompagna nella scelta d’iniziative di qualità, chiamate a fornire ulteriore spessore alle attività trattamentali”.

Ne è convinto anche il Direttore artistico di Musicultura Ezio Nannipieri che ha voluto ricordare come il progetto abbia preso forma l’estate scorsa dopo aver conosciuto Giulianelli.

“Sono seguiti – ha specificato – alcuni interessanti incontri che mi hanno consentito di mettere a fuoco la delicatezza e l’importanza della funzione che svolge. È proprio su suo impulso che il progetto nasce, con l’intento di contribuire a tessere connessioni, nel nostro caso umane e culturali, fra persone che si ritrovano a vivere detenute e la realtà esterna al carcere”.

Tutto questo chiedendo in primis aiuto alle canzoni, che per Nannipieri sanno essere “passe-partout formidabili d’accesso al nostro sentire profondo e proiettare l’immaginazione al di là di ogni muro. I brani in concorso porteranno nel perimetro del Barcaglione uno spaccato di vita, idee, sentimenti che mi auguro sia di nutrimento mentale ed emotivo per persone private della libertà per i reati commessi, ma non della loro umanità. E credo sia da rimarcare come dal carcere, attraverso il verdetto della giuria dei detenuti, uscirà un messaggio che inciderà concretamente sulle vicende del concorso stesso”

Nel panorama di interscambio delle diverse esperienze rientra il coinvolgimento dell’azienda agricola della Casa di reclusione di Barcaglione, che durante le iniziative di Musicultura proporrà in vendita al pubblico l’olio, il miele e i formaggi prodotti all’interno dell’istituto penitenziario. Le finalità del progetto hanno infatti trovato da subito un’ interlocutrice nella Direttrice degli istituti penitenziari di Ancona (Montacuto e Barcaglione), Manuela Ceresani.

“Il nostro obiettivo – ha detto – è quello di mettere in piedi attività che inneschino il processo di reinserimento sociale. Possono essere realizzate soprattutto quando c’è qualcuno che dall’esterno è disposto a spendersi e sperimentarsi, a creare l’aggancio tra il dentro e il fuori. In questo caso parliamo di musica che è un elemento importante per il benessere sia sul versante della responsabilizzazione, sia su quello della gestione delle emozioni”.

IL PERCORSO DEI LABORATORI

Nel complesso i percorsi laboratoriali saranno improntati a favorire lo sviluppo di competenze di analisi musicale utili a entrare consapevolmente nel vivo degli ascolti delle canzoni in concorso al festival.

Al tutor di Musicultura Edoardo Bartolini e ai professionisti del settore che interverranno ai laboratori si affiancherà la Presidente dell’Associazione “Art’O” Francesca Marchetti, da anni impegnata con iniziative culturali nella realtà carceraria.

Previste la formazione di un’apposita giuria di detenuti e l’istituzione del Premio “La Casa in riva al mare”, che sarà conferito a uno degli otto artisti finalisti della trentacinquesima edizione di Musicultura nell’ambito delle serate finali del festival, in programma allo Sferisterio di Macerata il 21 e 22 giugno.

I laboratori musicali si protrarranno fino allo stesso mese di giugno e si prevede, tra l’altro, di raccogliere e portare all’attenzione del pubblico alcune testimonianze dei membri della giuria dei detenuti. Quest’ultima, oltre a designare il vincitore del Premio “La casa in riva al mare”, svolgerà una funzione consultiva nei confronti della commissione di ascolto di Musicultura.

“La casa in riva al mare” sarà anche al centro de “La Controra 2024”, la sezione che nella settimana conclusiva del festival anima con un ricco e variegato programma di concerti, recital, dibattiti, incontri il centro storico di Macerata. Con la collaborazione del Garante sarà, infatti, creato un apposito evento dedicato a tracciare un primo bilancio del progetto e a proporre una più generale riflessione sugli effetti positivi che adeguati percorsi possono avere sulle prospettive future delle persone detenute.

Il progetto si concluderà a luglio, quando l’Artista vincitore del “Premio La casa in riva al mare” andrà a fare visita e conoscere, presso la Casa di reclusione di Barcaglione, i detenuti che lo avranno scelto e sarà protagonista di un happening musicale live.

A.Is.

À la suite de la décision du Conseil constitutionnel rendue publique ce jeudi 25 janvier, la Défenseure des droits publie les observations qu’elle lui a adressées le 12 janvier.

Consultez les observations sur l'espace documentaire du Défenseur des droits

Consulter la décision du Conseil constitutionnel

Asylum, migration and borders Borders and information systems

The Greek Ombudsman and FRA held an expert workshop for staff of the Cypriot and Greek ombuds bodies who work as forced return monitors

Experts from the European Commission, Frontex, the Council of Europe Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, European Court of Human Rights and Hellenic Police also took part.

Participants discussed legal and practical aspects of ensuring respect for the fundamental rights of non-EU nationals during removal operations.

FRA presented its latest overview of forced return monitoring systems in the EU.

The workshop took place in Athens on 22 and 23 January. It was financial supported by the EEA and Norway Grants.

New Public Interest reports issued by Public Services Ombudsman for Wales find that, in addition to the long delays experienced by all patients awaiting orthopaedic surgery, patients had been treated unfairly because of errors in the way Swansea Bay University Health Board had managed its orthopaedic surgery waiting lists.

About the complaint

The Ombudsman launched 3 separate investigations after receiving complaints about the management of orthopaedic waiting lists at Swansea Bay University Health Board.

All 3 complainants said that they had waited a long time for orthopaedic surgery and that their understanding of how they would be treated was not managed well by the Health Board regarding pre‑operative assessments.

What the Ombudsman found

The Ombudsman found that currently, the waiting time for orthopaedic surgery at the Health Board is more than 4 years.

The Health Board has had issues including not enough staff, not enough suitable places to operate, unclear management arrangements, and unclear processes for these operations.

The Ombudsman’s investigation found the following failings relating to management of the waiting list:

1. Mrs B was referred to hospital in 2018 for right hip pain and again in 2021 for left hip pain. The referral for her left hip was closed in error, but in 2023 her left hip was treated (as it was clinically worse).  She was removed from the waiting list for her right hip, even though this still required treatment.  Mrs B continues to experience severe pain in her right hip and after 5 years is still waiting for it to be operated on.

2. Mr C had been assessed as needing surgery within a month but waited 43 months (3 years 7 months) whilst in severe pain. During that time his position on the waiting list was reset in error and he was also removed from the list in error.

3. Mr D was removed from the waiting list when he missed surgical appointments because he was in hospital undergoing treatment for another illness. Despite provision in the guidance for this type of situation, Mr D was removed from the list and was waiting to be “treated in turn” which appears to be outside of the process.  Mr D received treatment in January 2024, 65 months (more than 5 years) after being added to the list for surgery. Mr D experienced a lot of pain, and this affected his wellbeing significantly.

These failings raised the Ombudsman’s concerns about how the whole waiting list has been managed.

The complainants were also put through the stress and pain of pre-operative assessments. These had falsely raised their hopes that surgery would happen soon.

Commenting on the report, Public Services Ombudsman for Wales, Michelle Morris, said:

“While patients are waiting for surgery on the list, they should be treated fairly in relation to the management of their place on that list, how they are communicated with about the time it is likely to take to receive treatment and to have their expectations fairly managed.

Patients who are already facing lengthy waiting times should feel able to rely on the Health Board to manage the waiting list well and in accordance with the waiting list guidelines.

These 3 cases demonstrate clear injustice to the patients.  In addition to these failings, the complainants had the unnecessary stress and pain of pre-operative assessments.  I am concerned that there appears to have been no thought for the impact of these on the patients’ wellbeing.

Recommendations

The Ombudsman made the following recommendations:

• the Health Board to review the decisions it made in respect of these complainants and their positions on the waiting list
• the Health Board to audit the whole waiting list to establish whether errors had been made on the waiting list times or improper removal from the list for other patients; and if so
• the Health Board should apologise to those patients and correct the errors.

Swansea Bay University Health Board has accepted the Ombudsman’s findings and conclusions and has agreed to implement these recommendations.