Ombudsman criticises council over delay in safeguarding investigation

Carers contracted by Blackpool Borough Council left a vulnerable woman “screaming in pain” with serious burns on her leg after she was placed too close to a hot radiator.

A probe by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman found the woman, who had previously suffered a stroke, was left on a commode in her bathroom by carers from contractor ICare, receiving burns to her leg from an adjacent radiator.

The Ombudsman said that despite the woman’s screams of pain it took carers nearly three hours to conclude she needed urgent medical attention.

ICare failed to provide safe care, and failed to identify obvious environmental risks in the woman’s home, the report said.

The Ombudsman also found delay in the council’s safeguarding investigation.

In this case Blackpool has agreed to:

• apologise and pay £5,000 to the woman and £500 to her daughter;
• ensure risk assessments completed by care agencies acting on its behalf identify obvious environmental hazards and care plans are put into place to minimise risks; and
• conduct regular quality assurance checks with the agency involved to satisfy itself it is implementing effective risk management assessments to ensure clients are safe.

Ombudsman Michael King said: “This distressing case serves to reinforce the need for carers to undertake thorough assessments of the care environment and the risks that they may pose, and the actions they need to take to mitigate those risks. 

“I hope the measures the council will now be putting in place will enable it to keep closer oversight of the agencies it contracts to carry out care on its behalf and ensure other vulnerable clients are not put at risk.”

Mark Smulian