Cornwall Council 'at fault' for vulnerable man's swing fall injury

A council has been told to apologise after a man with learning difficulties was seriously injured when he fell from a child's swing.

An investigation found Cornwall Council and its care provider United Response had put the man in his 30s at risk.

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman said the carer had not used the appropriate safety straps, the Local Democracy Service reports.

Cornwall Council said it was implementing a care plan for the man.

Concerns about the quality of care provided to the individual, identified only as Mr C, were submitted in a complaint that addressed two separate incidents.

The first, in October 2018, involved a support worker, identified as Ms E, putting Mr C into a child's swing, from which he fell and was admitted to hospital with serious injuries.

In the second incident, in January 2019, a support worker, Mr F, drove Mr C to the seaside when the weather was "particularly bad".

The vehicle broke down and left them stranded in the cold for several hours.

A safeguarding investigation by Cornwall Council in March 2019 concluded that Mr C had not been at risk.

The ombudsman found there was no fault during the seaside trip, but said there had been "a possible breach of the fundamental standard on safety" during the swing incident.

It said: "Mr C fell out of the swing and injured himself as a result. There was no support plan in place at the time. This too is fault. Mr C was put at risk and injured as a result."

The ombudsman also found fault in how United Response communicated with Mr C's family and its lack of apology.

Cornwall Council said it would apologise to Mr C's family, and would "ensure United Response complies with the recommendations from the safeguarding investigation".