Human rights should be at the centre of all council services, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has said.
A new report by the Ombudsman looks at cases where people have not been treated fairly by their local authorities, and suggests how other councils can avoid the same mistakes.
Cases in the report include a man with a learning disability who was regularly given sedatives by care home staff over a seven-month period, impacting on his right to a private life.
Entitled Equal Justice, the report also highlights a case where a council denied a homeless family the right to enjoy a family life and home when it failed to identify the property they were living in was overcrowded.
‘People all too often think of Human Rights with ‘capital letters’ and in grand terms, but the basic expectations of how anyone should be treated – with fairness, respect and dignity – are just as applicable for people in their everyday lives as they are when major international events occur,’ said Ombudsman Michael King.
‘We all have a right to expect these basic standards when we use public services. I urge councils to take a rights-based mindset when developing their services and making day-to-day decisions on how they are delivered.’
