Irwin Mitchell helped to secure improved living arrangements for a severely disabled man after his local council failed to provide him with suitable supported living accommodation.

Mr A, is a 23-year-old man who has been diagnosed with cerebral palsy, severe learning disabilities and brain damage. He also requires access to 24 hour support.

Mr A's mother approached our team whilst her son was living in a children’s home and receiving one-to-one support around the clock. When he turned 19, Mr A needed to progress into an adult environment and we were initially contacted because of the local authority’s delay in finding suitable accommodation. Mr A’s mother had already found a suitable healthcare provider and a property for him to move in to, alongside two other tenants to share the property with.

At this stage our client was offered an individual budget from Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council to pay for his community care support. We challenged this offer on the basis that no documentation had been provided to show how this figure had been reached or how it would meet Mr A’s needs. In addition, the offer was based on an out-of-date community care assessment and Mr A hadn't been provided with a care plan. With our help, Mr A’s mother submitted a formal complaint to the local authority on her son’s behalf.

We subsequently received updated assessments and support plans for Mr A and continued to advise our client in relation to ongoing negotiations with the local authority. We worked towards finalising a care plan which could meet our client’s needs and enable him to move into his new home.

As a result of intervention, the local authority eventually confirmed Mr A’s supported living placement and our client was able to move into his placement with support to meet his complex community care needs.

At the conclusion of the case, Mr A’s mother said: “We have reached a satisfactory conclusion which is of great relief to me and I would like to thank you for all your support and attention to detail in what has been a very complex situation.”

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