No failings in the care and support provided to a mental health patient and her carer

What happened

Mr Q is Ms J's carer. Ms J has a diagnosis of schizophrenia and has psychotic symptoms such as auditory hallucinations and paranoid delusions. She first had contact with the Trust because of her psychotic symptoms in 1999. Mr Q has been involved in Ms J's care for over a decade and they live together.

In late 2013 Mr Q complained to the Council that he did not consider the Crisis Team provided adequate support when Ms Q's mental health deteriorated out–of–hours. He thought a qualified mental health professional should be available at any time to assess Ms J and 'take responsibility' until her behaviour was stable. In addition, Mr Q said he did not feel the Council provided adequate support for him in his role as carer.

The Council responded in spring 2014 and included information obtained from the Trust. They did not identify any significant failings in the care they had provided to Ms J or in the support they had provided to Mr Q.

What we found

We did not uphold this case, which we investigated jointly with Local Government Ombudsman. We were satisfied the Council and Trust both provided a service in line with relevant policies and guidance. There was no evidence of fault in the care that they had provided to Ms J, or in the support they gave to Mr Q. There was a delay in responding to the complaint, but there was no injustice to Mr Q and Ms J as they had access to services throughout.