LGO raps Poole BC over risk assessments for walking group

The Local Government Ombudsman has criticised Poole Borough Council for conducting flawed risk assessments for a walking group organised by the local authority’s community outreach and support team.

The Ombudsman, Jane Martin, carried out an investigation following complaints from a family of a 43-year-old man with learning difficulties who died on one of the group’s walks in July 2008.

The family claimed that Poole had failed to properly assess the risk of the walk, and had not provided them with sufficient information about it. They felt Mr Clark (not his real name) had not been properly looked after, and that the council had been insensitive in its dealings with them.

A post mortem revealed that Mr Clark had an undiagnosed heart condition and had suffered a myocardial infarction 24 hours before the walk took place. A coroner ruled that he had died of natural causes and refused to hold an inquest.

An investigation conducted by the council recommended a number of improvements and called for an apology to be given to the family.

In her report Martin said: “In light of the coroner’s conclusions there can be no suggestion that any fault identified in this report caused [the client]’s death… However, I consider the council’s maladministration caused the family’s distress to be greater than it would have been.”

The LGO added that Poole had “failed to identify at all some obvious risks which were included on the council's own list of factors to be considered”. She also described the council’s communications with the client’s mother as “poor”.

Martin concluded that there had been maladministration in Poole’s risk assessments and supervision arrangements, and expressed concern about the appropriateness of the walk.

She praised Poole’s response to her recommended remedy. It will pay the family £1,500 for their additional distress and £500 for their time and trouble in bringing the complaint.