Easter break office closure 

We will be closed from 5pm Thursday 17 April 2025 until 10am Tuesday 22 April 2025. You can still submit your complaint via our online form but we will not respond until we reopen.

New Customer Service Standards

We have updated our Customer Service Standards and are looking for feedback from customers. Please fill out our survey here by 12 May 2025: https://forms.office.com/e/ZDpjibqe8r 

Investigation Report 200502631

  • Report no:
    200502631
  • Date:
    September 2007
  • Body:
    Fife Council
  • Sector:
    Local Government

Overview

The complainant (Mr C) raised a number of concerns against Fife Council Social Work Department (the Council) that they refused to pay transportation costs of Home Care staff to attend his mother-in-law (Ms D), at the property Mr C specifically leased for Ms D, when she was discharged from hospital.

Specific complaints and conclusions

The complaints which have been investigated are that:

  • (a)  the Council acted incorrectly when they advised Mr C he had to pay privately for the transportation costs incurred by the Home Care staff in attending to Ms D (not upheld);
  • (b)  the Council's decision not to pay transportation costs resulted in an impasse that meant no home care was provided for Ms D over a considerable period (not upheld); and
  • (c)  the Council refused to allow their carers to attend the elderly who live in off-main-road accessed accommodation, due to the possibility of vehicle damage occurring (not upheld).

Redress and recommendations

The Ombudsman has no recommendations to make.

Updated: December 11, 2018