Example
C asked for an independent review of the council's decision. They had applied for a Community Care Grant due to leaving their home following a relationship breakdown.
The council approved the application and awarded C the items they had applied for via their chosen furniture contractor. C requested a first tier review of the decision as they had secured the items they were awarded via a charity shop and this was their preferred fulfilment method. The council upheld their original decision to fulfil the award via their contractor.
We reviewed the council's case file and spoke with C for further information about the items they had secured and their reasons for this. C advised that the reason they preferred second hand goods was for sustainability and environmental reasons. We took this into account, however, deemed that the guidance allows councils to choose a supplier that achieves best value and meets the need. We deemed that the council’s decision to make the award via a furnishing supplier met the need and was reasonable. As such, we did not change the council's decision.