Care providers have been urged to ensure vulnerable clients have access to same sex carers following a case in Warwickshire where a council failed to do so despite it being stipulated in a support plan.
According to LG News
The investigation by the Local Government Ombudsman involved a woman in her thirties with significant needs whose family had to remove her from a respite care centre.
The inquiry found Warwickshire County Council had compromised her dignity by failing to ensure she had access to a same sex carer. The council has been asked to review its advice to care provider and pay £6,500 in compensation for upset caused over the course of two and a half years.
The local authority has since agreed to provide respite care at the centre.
Ombudsman Dr Jane Martin said: ‘Under the Equality Act 2010 the need to deliver same-sex care is an “objective justification” for advertising and recruiting workers to fulfil the need. It is not enough for a provider to say “we cannot guarantee same sex care”. They need to demonstrate that they have made every effort to ensure the service is delivered in the way that is best for the recipient.
‘In this case, the family did not feel confident that the council could protect their daughter and the care home could provide the same-sex care that they requested. They have missed vital opportunities to go away on holiday or simply have a break from their caring responsibilities.’