La institución del Valedor do Pobo abrió una queja de oficio ante la amenaza de que una veintena de familias perdiesen sus viviendas sociales ante la posibilidad de que la entidad extinguiera sus alquileres.

Santiago de Compostela, 29 de octubre de 2018. La institución del Valedor do Pobo registró hoy una carta de la Delegación Territorial del Banco Santander, en la que ésta ratifica su compromiso de no realizar lanzamientos de inquilinos en situación de vulnerabilidad en A Patiña (Cambre) aunque existan impagos de renta. La institución del Valedor do Pobo abrió una queja de oficio el pasado 22 de octubre y se dirigió a la Dirección Territorial del Banco Santander ante la preocupante situación de una veintena de familias, arrendatarias del edificio de viviendas sociales.

En el escrito dirigido a la entidad bancaria, la institución del Valedor do Pobo aludió a la especial situación de emergencia social y precariedad económica que viven alguna de las familias afectadas. “Concurren hechos diferenciales y elementos de verdadera vulnerabilidad social al tratarse de personas en riesgo de exclusión a las que la pérdida de vivienda habitual les acarrearía lamentables consecuencias”, afirmó la valedora en su escrito.

Desde hace décadas, tanto la Declaración Universal de los Derechos Humanos como el Pacto Internacional de Derechos Económicos, Sociales y Culturales o la Carta de los Derechos Fundamentales de la Unión Europea coinciden en resaltar la dimensión social de la vivienda, vinculada a la mejora de las condiciones de existencia de las personas. Desde esta perspectiva a institución del Valedor do Pobo solicitó información al Banco Santander para que informara de las circunstancias de las viviendas afectadas y diese una respuesta para aclarar la problemática y paliar o contribuir a mitigar el conflicto.

“Esta institución no puede ser ajena ni a las especiales situaciones de vulnerabilidad de muchas de las familias afectadas ni a los perjuicios que les comportaría la pérdida de sus viviendas habituales, viviendas que constituyen sus hogares desde ya hace muchos años”, explicó la valedora.

Con fecha de registro de hoy en el Valedor do Pobo, el Banco Santander remitió un comunicado, remitido previamente al Ayuntamiento de Cambre, en el que confirma que no procederá a realizar “ningún lanzamiento de inquilinos en situación de vulnerabilidad, aunque existan impagos de renta”, lo que quiere decir que no se ejecutarán desahucios de familias en esas circunstancias.

Ante este avance, restaría que la entidad concretara los períodos de renovación de los contratos de alquiler así como las rentas que tengan en consideración las vulnerabilidades de las familias.

La institución del Valedor do Pobo mantiene informado al Ayuntamiento de Cambre de todas estas actuaciones.

Anlässlich der Festveranstaltung zum 25-jährigen Bestehen des Vereins der Selbsthilfe in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern sagte der Bürgerbeauftragte Matthias Crone:

 „Seit 25 Jahren setzt sich die Selbsthilfe in MV dafür ein, dass Menschen mit Behinderung und chronischer Erkrankung am gesellschaftlichen Leben teilnehmen können, selbstbestimmt und gleichberechtigt. Die Selbsthilfebewegung ist ein leuchtendes Beispiel für bürgerschaftliches Engagement. Als Dachverband vernetzt sie viele Menschen aus ganz unterschiedlichen Vereinen. Sie ist für den einzelnen Menschen da. Und sie will die Gesellschaft verändern.

 Die Selbsthilfe ist die größte gesetzlich verankerte Interessenvertretung für Menschen mit Behinderung und hat auch in der Politik in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern viel bewegt. Ich denke an die Verankerung der Rechte von Menschen mit Behinderung in unserer Landesverfassung, die ja gerade wieder diskutiert wird. Ich denke auch an das Landesbehindertengleichstellungsgesetz oder den Maßnahmeplan der Landesregierung zur Umsetzung der UN-Behindertenrechtskonvention.

 Ich danke für die gute und vertrauensvolle Zusammenarbeit mit dem Bürgerbeauftragten in all den Jahren. Uns eint die Überzeugung, dass es neben den gesetzlichen Rahmenbedingungen immer auch um eine Haltung der Gesellschaft zu Menschen mit Behinderung geht. Eine solche Haltung kann man nicht ins Gesetz schreiben oder verordnen. Sie muss immer wieder eingefordert und ins Bewusstsein gebracht werden. Und auch dazu tragen die viele Menschen bei, die sich in der Selbsthilfe engagieren. Wir brauchen ihr Engagement auch in Zukunft!“

Our latest Quarterly Bulletin contains a link to our new animated video and a selection of our latest investigation reports.

An unannounced inspection was made of the Pohjolakoti children’s home under the orders of Deputy Ombudsman Maija Sakslin on 17.0-18.4.2018. The inspection identified a number of major deficiencies in the treatment of children and the use of restrictions. The supervisory authorities, the Regional State Administrative Agency and the municipalities placing children in the Pohjolakoti home were unaware of the illegal and repressive measures used against children there.

After the inspection, the deputy ombudsman requested reports from the Pohjolakoti home, the Regional State Administrative Agency and the municipalities placing children in the home. 

The Pohjolakoti home must specify the measures it will take as a result of the inspection’s findings. In its report, Pohjolakoti has described a number of important changes in its operations, with the aim of improving the children’s treatment.

The Regional State Administrative Agency for Northern Finland was asked for a report on how it supervises substitute care facilities within its jurisdiction, particularly the use of restrictive measures and the way in which, during inspections, the agency consults children who have been placed in the home.

The municipalities currently placing children in the home were asked to report on issues such as how they have ensured that the social worker responsible for organising and supervising the substitute care of a child has actually been able to perform their statutory duties. The municipalities were also asked to report on the number of client families that each social worker has.

In many cases, the report submitted to the Office of the Parliamentary Ombudsman indicates a shortage of social service resources and an unreasonable workload among social workers responsible for children's affairs. The large number of client families under the responsibility of social workers is preventing or at least hampering the supervision of substitute care places. According to the inspection findings and reports received, the legal right of children placed in care to a personal discussion with their own social workers has not been realised in every case. The right of a child in substitute care to obtain the necessary care has been seriously compromised.

The deputy ombudsman, Maija Sakslin, will make a decision on these issues, which she has investigated under her own initiative. A separate announcement will be made on the decisions.

For more information, please contact Principal Legal Adviser Tapio Räty, tel. + 358 9 432 3379.

The death of a 42-year-old diabetic who suffered a Pulmonary Embolism days after having his toe amputated may have been avoided if he’d been treated differently, a Public Services Ombudsman for Wales investigation has found.

Aneurin Bevan University Health Board has been criticised for the care given to the man, Mr C (anonymised), in October 2016, after a complaint was received from Mrs B, his mother.

The investigation found that:

• Earlier referral, by the Podiatry Service, to a specialist team might have resulted in earlier treatment of his condition and might have prevented the need to amputate Mr C’s toe.

• Further steps should have been taken before Mr C was discharged, following his first hospital admission, and had these steps been taken Mr C’s care might have been managed differently.

• The investigation also found that Mr C was at increased risk of Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) / Pulmonary Embolism (PE), and that protection should have continued after he was discharged from his second hospital admission.

The Health Board has agreed to make a payment of £4,000 in recognition of the failings identified in the report and apologise in writing to the family of Mr C. Additionally, it has agreed to undertake a root cause analysis investigation of the death and put in place an action plan to prevent the situation happening again.

Commenting on the report, Nick Bennett, Public Services Ombudsman for Wales, said:

“The desperately sad outcome of this case may have been avoided had Mr C been treated in the correct manner.

“In particular, I am extremely concerned the patient was discharged early following his first hospital admission without full consideration of his condition and that on his second discharge from hospital he was not given appropriate protection against Deep Vein Thrombosis and a Pulmonary Embolism. This case further highlights the importance of thorough discharge procedures for all patients.

“Mr C was just 42 years old when he passed away and the effect of such a premature death on his family cannot be underestimated.”