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Annual Report of the Ombudsman 2004

Chapter 3 - Midland Health Board - Application for Domiciliary Care Allowance Refused

Midland Health Board

Application for Domiciliary Care Allowance Refused

I received a complaint from a mother of three children all of whom suffered from learning difficulties and speech disorders, and for whom the Domiciliary Care Allowance (DCA) had been refused by the Midland Health Board on medical grounds. One of the children also suffered from Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) together with Gross Motor Dyspraxia. The woman complained to me about the lack of support services which had been promised by the Board, but not provided, to enable her to cope with the children.

I requested a review of the decision to refuse the payment of DCA to the child who suffered from a range of conditions including ADHD. DCA is an allowance payable in respect of children who are so severely physically or mentally disabled that they require care and attention which is considerably in excess of that normally required by a child of the same age. In refusing to pay the allowance to two of the complainant’s children, the Board explained that it had been refused on the grounds that they were not so severely or physically disabled so as to warrant payment of the allowance. However, in reviewing the third application, it agreed that this child who had a number of conditions which, taken together, would allow her to be deemed medically eligible. The Board approved the payment of DCA for this child and back-dated the arrears to her second birthday.

I was concerned, however, that this mother had insufficient support to enable her to cope with her children, and requested the Board to examine this aspect of the complaint. The Board responded by appointing a social worker to the family who would be available to assist them to communicate the children’s needs to the Speech and Language Therapy and Occupational Therapy Departments. A Family Support Worker was also allocated to the family to assist the children with their homework which had been a major area of concern for the complainant. I was pleased to subsequently receive a call from the complainant indicating that these initiatives had greatly benefited her family.

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