I need help and advice regarding an epically failed DFG

[Tinkymand]

Hi there,

I know this may not be relevant to you but if you could help with any
advice or point me in the right direction of where i could get help with
this issue I would be very grateful. I really don't know where else
to go and I feel as if I am banging my head against a brick wall.

Just to cut a long story short, we need your help with our battle
with the council.

We have a 6 year old disabled child, Riley, with Dandy Walker Syndrome, and we bought our first house last year which needed adapting in order for Riley to be able to access everywhere. We applied for a DFG for this to happen, which we thought would be simple and stress free as its the council who have
handled it all. We have had a through the floor lift installed, a ramp
installed, the garden path redone, 2 ceiling track hoists installed, a
doorway widened, a new boiler and finally a shower room installed
upstairs.

Whilst we are of course grateful that we have not had to pay for
this, which amounted to over £30,000, the work standard has been
appalling. We had a live wire hanging from a ceiling, water running out
under the door of the shower room instead of towards the drain, boxing
put in over pipes which have made it impossible for Riley to use the
sink in the shower room (which was supposed to be purpose built for
him), we were left with no washing facilities for Riley and the list
goes on and on and on.

After an 8 month battle we finally had a different contractor
coming in to repair some of the work but the council are still refusing
to do all the repairs and refusing to pay for specialists to check for
damage that we cannot see but they are specialised in looking for, for
example, a structural engineer to check the joists under the shower room
as the floor outside of it is not sealed and water has been leaking out
there, under the door.

We were advised by a structural engineer (that we were paying for to
check other joists in Riley's bedroom) to get it checked as there was a
possibility the water may have caused dry rot in the joists due to the
floor not being sealed. The fault lies with the previous contractor who
did not level the floor properly to make the water run towards the drain
and therefore, as it was their contractor we feel they should have to
pay for these checks. The risk is too great to not get the checks done
but they are still refusing to pay for it, and this is just one example.

The contactor turned up yesterday to start the work and within 10 minutes walked back out saying it was worse than he thought and wasn't willing to do the work so we are back at square one!!

We complained to the Home Improvement Officer, then to his manager,
then his manager and finally to the MP who forwarded it onto the Chief
Executive and we still can't get anywhere. I am at my wits end because
we are still no closer to getting this sorted and we are running out of
time because I am 25 weeks pregnant and we can't have a newborn in this
building site. The council are of course aware of this but it makes no
difference to them, for example, I am still having to carry Riley up and
down the stairs. It is dangerous for me to do so with being pregnant but
we have no other option.

We have no idea where to go next and are feeling completely lost with it all. Riley doesn't have a bedroom because that's where they are supposed to be working, I have a building site for a house, a place not ready for a baby as it should be and I have been warned by the midwives to not lift Riley and to try to keep the stress levels down but I dont see how?!

Any ideas?

I can't give you much help. This is not something I have dealt with, but didn't want your post to go unanswered.

I think if it was me, I would consider ringing my local newspaper/TV station at this point - maybe some bad publicity will get them moving?

Recently where I live there was a SN baby due out of hospital with no suitable accommodation. The local paper did an appeal and local companies came in and finished all the work needed for free.

Watchdog / local paper / national paper / TV news.

We had major adaptations done for our DD, but it was in the days of means testing so didn't have a DFG - just used our own builder.
However, we have since had further work done on a bathroom and also a ceiling track hoist and both funded under a DFG. As far as I remember, I was asked on both occasions to confirm that the work was satisfactory before the LA released the money to the contractors.
Have your LA already paid the builder for the work? If so, then I would be asking them why, when the work is clearly not finished to a safe standard. Was the builder one chosen by them or is it someone you appointed? We got quotes off contractors for one of our jobs - the LA approved the cheapest, but we were free to chose who did the work (but would have had to pay the difference).
I think I would be seeking advice from Citizens Advice Bureau (who may be able to get legal advice for you) or contacting any regulatory body that the contractor who is at fault is a member of.

The same thing happened here, the job went out to tender to 3 companies and the LA paid for the cheapest. He came in, did an apalling job so we complained to our Home Improvement Officer (who, as we later found out, has been friends with the contractor since they were 5 and they are now in their 50s.) He did nothing so we took it to his manager who raised a case meeting.
We were told we would have to give the contractor a chance to come back and put right what he had done wrong. We weren't happy with this but gave him the chance so he came back for a day anf fitted a changing bench so we had something to shower Riley on and then left, never to be seen again.
After another 6 weeks of chasing him we decided we had given him enough chances and requested a new contractor. After a big battle we finally got it out to tender again. A new contractor was assigned but we had to wait 6 weeks for him to fit us in.
He came out yesterday. Looked at the job amd said he wouldn't be able to do the job for what he had quoted because it needs major works which he isn't willing to do so now we are back to square one.

We have a meeting with CAB next week and have contacted the LGO who are willing to take the case. We just want to throw everything we have at them.
We have tried one thing at a time and it doesnt seem to have done much.
I have contacted Dom Littlewood and Clive Holland but not heard anything back yet.
I think our last option is going to be either legal or newspapers but legal will take months and lots of stress.

Stage one complaint (although LGO sounds better).

I had issues with our DFG (before the work was done though) and put in a stage 1 complaint to the council and it was sorted.

We had three quotes and chose the middle or most expensive (can't remember which) - and paid the difference. BUT the bloody LA TOLD the cheapest guy he had the job and then I had him phoning up shouting abuse down the phone at me I was absolutely livid.

Wow. How did they get away with using that contractor? Saying that, when the investigation happened, it was found out that CRB checks weren't done on the contractors and the council can use anyone they want, even if they aren't on the approved contractors list.
When we took the complaint to the MP who sent it on to the chief exec of the council it was raised to a stage 2 complaint and it seemed we were getting somewhere but since the investigation has been finished, the HIA have slowed down again.