Caring couple abused by council staff win payout

A DEVOTED husband who has been caring for his disabled wife for almost 30 years has been given £2,500 compensation from Enfield Council after being “harassed and humiliated” by social workers.

Esat Mustafa is the main carer for his wife Ayshe who suffers with multiple sclerosis. He made a formal complaint to the council after his appeals for respite support were ignored, and was told it would be cheaper to put Ayshe in a residential care home.

Mr Mustafa, 58, of Curthwaite Gardens, claimed his rights as a carer were “completely ignored” and that a lack of help from social services, coupled with the ongoing stress of caring for his 52-year-old wife 24 hours a day, meant he could longer provide the level of care she required.

“It was getting to a point where I couldn’t cope,” said Mr Mustafa. “I was under so much stress it was starting to affect my own health.

“I requested respite support in 2009 but it was ignored, and again in 2010.
“We’ve used the council’s services since 1999, but I was never assessed for my needs as a carer until last September.

Then a social worker told me it would be cheaper for Ayshe to be put in a home, and that I had no rights as a carer. It was totally out of order and discriminatory. I also received angry phone calls telling me to stop asking for help.”

The couple made a formal complaint to the council, and following an investigation they received an apology and an improved care plan which eased the burden on Mr Mustafa. They were also offered damages, which Mr Mustafa donated to the Enfield Carers’ Centre.

“The compensation was purely as a result of the negligence of the social services,” he added. “I felt the figure was too low, but we had been put through enough and I accepted.

“This wasn’t about money, which is why I donated it all. I could have got more had I taken them to court, but I just wanted an improved care package for my wife. I don’t want anybody else to suffer what we have.”

A council spokesman said: “We feel the complaint, investigation and compensation adequately reflect the identified shortcomings, including failure to provide respite support.
We very much wish to continue to work with Mr Mustafa and his wife to ensure their needs are met appropriately.”