Shokat Lal

From

Shokat Lal <Shokat_Lal@sandwell.gov.uk>

To

Marie Brown <MarieBrownUK@outlook.com>

CC

Elizabeth Deegan <elizabeth.deegan@aspire.org.uk>, James McLaughlin <James_McLaughlin@sandwell.gov.uk>, Sukhjinder Sahota <Sukhjinder_Sahota@sandwell.gov.uk>

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Hi Marie, I understand that colleagues have been in touch with you and are working their way through the issues raised and I will ask the question around why you were put into the property without the right reasonable adjustments made. Can I ask that you work with James on this and you have also contacted me through Linkedin earlier asking a question, the right place to do that is through my official email address which is this. Thanks Shokat From: Marie Brown <MarieBrownUK@outlook.com> Sent: 25 March 2025 06:30 To: Shokat Lal <Shokat_Lal@sandwell.gov.uk> Cc: Elizabeth Deegan <elizabeth.deegan@aspire.org.uk>; James McLaughlin <James_McLaughlin@sandwell.gov.uk>; Sukhjinder Sahota <Sukhjinder_Sahota@sandwell.gov.uk> Subject: Re: Responding to Linkedin message CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the Council / Children's Trust. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognise the sender and know the content is safe. Hi Shokat, Thanks for reaching out, James is aware of the original issues, he apologised to me, said he needed time to look into things and would respond, and the outcome I asked James for was a SAFE home. Then James sent me BACK to Manifoldia Grange where more safeguarding issues have been raised and ignored. Elizabeth and I are still waiting for the response to everything Elizabeth, James, Sukhjinder and I discussed on February 6th 2025, James please send that today as a reasonable time has now passed. Shokat, could you please explain to me (because I'm a bit thick and can't communicate effectively with SMBC staff) why, a disabled 49 year old tenant of Sandwell Council spent the last few weeks in a flat with standard kitchen units and no grab rails, and is being sent back to a bungalow with steps in the back garden, when Elizabeth Deegan has been asking Sandwell Council to install wheelchair adaptations in one of their wheelchair accessible bungalows for a few years now? I look forward to hearing from you soon. Marie From: Shokat Lal < Shokat_Lal@sandwell.gov.uk > Sent: Monday, March 24, 2025 8:50:59 PM To: MarieBrownUK@outlook.com < MarieBrownUK@outlook.com > Subject: Responding to Linkedin message Hi Marie, I am just following up on the message you left on Linkedin on Sunday. I understand that there are some issues which you have raised and a number of officers need to look intoi, I have been told that they are looking into those and will be coming back to you but I would be happy for you to let me know the exact issues that need resolving? Thank you Shokat Shokat Lal Chief Executive Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council Sandwell Council House Freeth Street Oldbury B69 3DE Office: 07721 687878 www.sandwell.gov.uk

From

Marie Brown <MarieBrownUK@outlook.com>

To

"Shokat Lal"

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Hello At 9.20 this morning my floating support worker Debbie Campbell, refused to help me get out of bed and to the toilet safely. I asked her about the crutches I keep requesting but she isn't responsible for my crutches. Debbie insisted I either CRAWL to the toilet/door to let her in, or she would need to reschedule my appointment. Debbie told me to call my friend from Hamstead instead. Then hung up on me when I got upset that she wanted me to call a single mother from Hamstead to drive here so she can help me out of bed, and I can hold her arm to walk to the bathroom. I can't unlock my triride from my wheelchair because I am in too much pain to twist bolts. I can't crawl any more because as a 49 year old with a spinal cord injury and a degenerative disk disease I am in too much pain from weeks of crawling and I can't seek medical aid for the pain or indeed, get to the loo. I really need the toilet you prick. https://discriminationinsandwell.uk/ #LetReePeeSafely #ShameSMBC @SandwellTenant

From

Marie Brown <MarieBrownUK@outlook.com>

To

"Shokat Lal"

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"Elizabeth Deegan"

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["2023 03 06 Final Draft Mins MDT 6.3.23 MB295269 - Minutes approved 18th May 2023.docx", "image001.png"]

Good day Shokat, Please consider this a formal complaint about the conduct of James McLaughlin and Sukhjinder Sahota, who have ignored multiple reasonable adjustment requests made in person and in writing. Following our meeting on February 6th 2025, James emailed me on February 11th 2025 and has failed to follow up on actions promised in that email. I am escalating the matter to you Shokat, because you are James and Sukhjinders manager, I moved to Boldmere Court in 2020 because it was described as wheelchair accessible. I have consistently challenged this description and asked for the property to be adapted for the wheelchair and would like to know why actions agreed almost 2 years ago remain unresolved and both James and Sukhjinder continue to ignore SMBC policy and procedures. I will not list my concerns again, they are well documented already. I look forward to your acknowledgment of my complaint within 5 working days. Sincerely, Marie Brown From: Shokat Lal <Shokat_Lal@sandwell.gov.uk> Sent: Tuesday, March 25, 2025 5:18:39 PM To: Marie Brown <MarieBrownUK@outlook.com> Cc: Elizabeth Deegan <elizabeth.deegan@aspire.org.uk>; James McLaughlin <James_McLaughlin@sandwell.gov.uk>; Sukhjinder Sahota <Sukhjinder_Sahota@sandwell.gov.uk> Subject: RE: Responding to Linkedin message Hi Marie, I understand that colleagues have been in touch with you and are working their way through the issues raised and I will ask the question around why you were put into the property without the right reasonable adjustments made. Can I ask that you work with James on this and you have also contacted me through Linkedin earlier asking a question, the right place to do that is through my official email address which is this. Thanks Shokat From: Marie Brown <MarieBrownUK@outlook.com> Sent: 25 March 2025 06:30 To: Shokat Lal <Shokat_Lal@sandwell.gov.uk> Cc: Elizabeth Deegan <elizabeth.deegan@aspire.org.uk>; James McLaughlin <James_McLaughlin@sandwell.gov.uk>; Sukhjinder Sahota <Sukhjinder_Sahota@sandwell.gov.uk> Subject: Re: Responding to Linkedin message CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the Council / Children's Trust. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognise the sender and know the content is safe. Hi Shokat, Thanks for reaching out, James is aware of the original issues, he apologised to me, said he needed time to look into things and would respond, and the outcome I asked James for was a SAFE home. Then James sent me BACK to Manifoldia Grange where more safeguarding issues have been raised and ignored. Elizabeth and I are still waiting for the response to everything Elizabeth, James, Sukhjinder and I discussed on February 6th 2025, James please send that today as a reasonable time has now passed. Shokat, could you please explain to me (because I'm a bit thick and can't communicate effectively with SMBC staff) why, a disabled 49 year old tenant of Sandwell Council spent the last few weeks in a flat with standard kitchen units and no grab rails, and is being sent back to a bungalow with steps in the back garden, when Elizabeth Deegan has been asking Sandwell Council to install wheelchair adaptations in one of their wheelchair accessible bungalows for a few years now? I look forward to hearing from you soon. Marie From: Shokat Lal < Shokat_Lal@sandwell.gov.uk > Sent: Monday, March 24, 2025 8:50:59 PM To: MarieBrownUK@outlook.com < MarieBrownUK@outlook.com > Subject: Responding to Linkedin message Hi Marie, I am just following up on the message you left on Linkedin on Sunday. I understand that there are some issues which you have raised and a number of officers need to look intoi, I have been told that they are looking into those and will be coming back to you but I would be happy for you to let me know the exact issues that need resolving? Thank you Shokat Shokat Lal Chief Executive Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council Sandwell Council House Freeth Street Oldbury B69 3DE Office: 07721 687878 www.sandwell.gov.uk

From

Elizabeth Deegan <Elizabeth.deegan@aspire.org.uk>

To

Shokat Lal <Shokat_Lal@sandwell.gov.uk>

CC

Marie Brown <mariebrownuk@outlook.com>

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["2023 03 06 Final Draft Mins MDT 6.3.23 MB295269 - Minutes approved 18th May 2023.docx", "Aspire FOA - MB.jpeg", "image009.png", "image008.jpg", "image007.png", "image006.jpg", "image005.png", "image004.png", "image003.png", "image002.png"]

Good afternoon Shokat, I hope you are well. By way of introductions my name is Elizabeth, and I am a Housing Advisor for Aspire charity; we offer telephone support to people who have sustained a spinal cord injury. Marie Brown is linked in with our service to receive some additional support regarding her housing situation. Please see attached signed form of authority from Marie. Please can we be advised as to whether Marie’s previous email sent on the 13 th May 2025 (please see below) has been acknowledged as an official complaint, as Marie has not had any further contact regarding this? Please do let me know if this needs to be logged directly with the complaints team if you are not accepting the email as a complaint and I will forward the below onto them. Kind regards, Elizabeth Deegan (She/Her) Housing Advisor Aspire – supporting people with spinal cord injuries Please donate to Aspire: https://www.aspire.org.uk/donate M 07918 673 896 W www.aspire.org.uk Aspire, Aspire Leisure Centre, Wood Lane, Stanmore, Middlesex HA7 4AP Association for Spinal Injury Research, Rehabilitation and Reintegration. Registered Company no. 3744357. Registered Charity no. 1075317. Scottish Registered Charity no. SC037482. This e-mail (and any attachments) is confidential. If you have received it in error, please delete it from your system, do not use, copy or disclose the information in any way nor act in reliance on it and notify Aspire immediately. Thank you. From: Marie Brown <MarieBrownUK@outlook.com> Sent: 13 May 2025 15:43 To: Shokat Lal <Shokat_Lal@sandwell.gov.uk> Cc: Elizabeth Deegan <Elizabeth.deegan@aspire.org.uk> Subject: Formal complaint about James McLaughlin and Good day Shokat, Please consider this a formal complaint about the conduct of James McLaughlin and Sukhjinder Sahota, who have ignored multiple reasonable adjustment requests made in person and in writing. Following our meeting on February 6th 2025, James emailed me on February 11th 2025 and has failed to follow up on actions promised in that email. I am escalating the matter to you Shokat, because you are James and Sukhjinders manager, I moved to Boldmere Court in 2020 because it was described as wheelchair accessible. I have consistently challenged this description and asked for the property to be adapted for the wheelchair and would like to know why actions agreed almost 2 years ago remain unresolved and both James and Sukhjinder continue to ignore SMBC policy and procedures. I will not list my concerns again, they are well documented already. I look forward to your acknowledgment of my complaint within 5 working days. Sincerely, Marie Brown From: Shokat Lal < Shokat_Lal@sandwell.gov.uk > Sent: Tuesday, March 25, 2025 5:18:39 PM To: Marie Brown < MarieBrownUK@outlook.com > Cc: Elizabeth Deegan < elizabeth.deegan@aspire.org.uk >; James McLaughlin < James_McLaughlin@sandwell.gov.uk >; Sukhjinder Sahota < Sukhjinder_Sahota@sandwell.gov.uk > Subject: RE: Responding to Linkedin message Hi Marie, I understand that colleagues have been in touch with you and are working their way through the issues raised and I will ask the question around why you were put into the property without the right reasonable adjustments made. Can I ask that you work with James on this and you have also contacted me through Linkedin earlier asking a question, the right place to do that is through my official email address which is this. Thanks Shokat From: Marie Brown < MarieBrownUK@outlook.com > Sent: 25 March 2025 06:30 To: Shokat Lal < Shokat_Lal@sandwell.gov.uk > Cc: Elizabeth Deegan < elizabeth.deegan@aspire.org.uk >; James McLaughlin < James_McLaughlin@sandwell.gov.uk >; Sukhjinder Sahota < Sukhjinder_Sahota@sandwell.gov.uk > Subject: Re: Responding to Linkedin message CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the Council / Children's Trust. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognise the sender and know the content is safe. Hi Shokat, Thanks for reaching out, James is aware of the original issues, he apologised to me, said he needed time to look into things and would respond, and the outcome I asked James for was a SAFE home. Then James sent me BACK to Manifoldia Grange where more safeguarding issues have been raised and ignored. Elizabeth and I are still waiting for the response to everything Elizabeth, James, Sukhjinder and I discussed on February 6th 2025, James please send that today as a reasonable time has now passed. Shokat, could you please explain to me (because I'm a bit thick and can't communicate effectively with SMBC staff) why, a disabled 49 year old tenant of Sandwell Council spent the last few weeks in a flat with standard kitchen units and no grab rails, and is being sent back to a bungalow with steps in the back garden, when Elizabeth Deegan has been asking Sandwell Council to install wheelchair adaptations in one of their wheelchair accessible bungalows for a few years now? I look forward to hearing from you soon. Marie From: Shokat Lal < Shokat_Lal@sandwell.gov.uk > Sent: Monday, March 24, 2025 8:50:59 PM To: MarieBrownUK@outlook.com < MarieBrownUK@outlook.com > Subject: Responding to Linkedin message Hi Marie, I am just following up on the message you left on Linkedin on Sunday. I understand that there are some issues which you have raised and a number of officers need to look intoi, I have been told that they are looking into those and will be coming back to you but I would be happy for you to let me know the exact issues that need resolving? Thank you Shokat Shokat Lal Chief Executive Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council Sandwell Council House Freeth Street Oldbury B69 3DE Office: 07721 687878 www.sandwell.gov.uk

From

Shokat Lal <Shokat_Lal@sandwell.gov.uk>

To

Elizabeth Deegan <Elizabeth.deegan@aspire.org.uk>

CC

Marie Brown <mariebrownuk@outlook.com>

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Hi Elizabeth, I am good thanks and hope you are well. I acknowledge receipt of the email and I am currently taking legal advice as to how this complaint should be considered. Thanks Shokat From: Elizabeth Deegan <Elizabeth.deegan@aspire.org.uk> Sent: 22 May 2025 13:06 To: Shokat Lal <Shokat_Lal@sandwell.gov.uk> Cc: Marie Brown <mariebrownuk@outlook.com> Subject: RE: Formal complaint about James McLaughlin and Sukhjinder Sahota CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the Council / Children's Trust. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognise the sender and know the content is safe. Good afternoon Shokat, I hope you are well. By way of introductions my name is Elizabeth, and I am a Housing Advisor for Aspire charity; we offer telephone support to people who have sustained a spinal cord injury. Marie Brown is linked in with our service to receive some additional support regarding her housing situation. Please see attached signed form of authority from Marie. Please can we be advised as to whether Marie’s previous email sent on the 13 th May 2025 (please see below) has been acknowledged as an official complaint, as Marie has not had any further contact regarding this? Please do let me know if this needs to be logged directly with the complaints team if you are not accepting the email as a complaint and I will forward the below onto them. Kind regards, Elizabeth Deegan (She/Her) Housing Advisor Aspire – supporting people with spinal cord injuries Please donate to Aspire: https://www.aspire.org.uk/donate M 07918 673 896 W www.aspire.org.uk Aspire, Aspire Leisure Centre, Wood Lane, Stanmore, Middlesex HA7 4AP Association for Spinal Injury Research, Rehabilitation and Reintegration. Registered Company no. 3744357. Registered Charity no. 1075317. Scottish Registered Charity no. SC037482. This e-mail (and any attachments) is confidential. If you have received it in error, please delete it from your system, do not use, copy or disclose the information in any way nor act in reliance on it and notify Aspire immediately. Thank you. From: Marie Brown < MarieBrownUK@outlook.com > Sent: 13 May 2025 15:43 To: Shokat Lal < Shokat_Lal@sandwell.gov.uk > Cc: Elizabeth Deegan < Elizabeth.deegan@aspire.org.uk > Subject: Formal complaint about James McLaughlin and Good day Shokat, Please consider this a formal complaint about the conduct of James McLaughlin and Sukhjinder Sahota, who have ignored multiple reasonable adjustment requests made in person and in writing. Following our meeting on February 6th 2025, James emailed me on February 11th 2025 and has failed to follow up on actions promised in that email. I am escalating the matter to you Shokat, because you are James and Sukhjinders manager, I moved to Boldmere Court in 2020 because it was described as wheelchair accessible. I have consistently challenged this description and asked for the property to be adapted for the wheelchair and would like to know why actions agreed almost 2 years ago remain unresolved and both James and Sukhjinder continue to ignore SMBC policy and procedures. I will not list my concerns again, they are well documented already. I look forward to your acknowledgment of my complaint within 5 working days. Sincerely, Marie Brown From: Shokat Lal < Shokat_Lal@sandwell.gov.uk > Sent: Tuesday, March 25, 2025 5:18:39 PM To: Marie Brown < MarieBrownUK@outlook.com > Cc: Elizabeth Deegan < elizabeth.deegan@aspire.org.uk >; James McLaughlin < James_McLaughlin@sandwell.gov.uk >; Sukhjinder Sahota < Sukhjinder_Sahota@sandwell.gov.uk > Subject: RE: Responding to Linkedin message Hi Marie, I understand that colleagues have been in touch with you and are working their way through the issues raised and I will ask the question around why you were put into the property without the right reasonable adjustments made. Can I ask that you work with James on this and you have also contacted me through Linkedin earlier asking a question, the right place to do that is through my official email address which is this. Thanks Shokat From: Marie Brown < MarieBrownUK@outlook.com > Sent: 25 March 2025 06:30 To: Shokat Lal < Shokat_Lal@sandwell.gov.uk > Cc: Elizabeth Deegan < elizabeth.deegan@aspire.org.uk >; James McLaughlin < James_McLaughlin@sandwell.gov.uk >; Sukhjinder Sahota < Sukhjinder_Sahota@sandwell.gov.uk > Subject: Re: Responding to Linkedin message CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the Council / Children's Trust. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognise the sender and know the content is safe. Hi Shokat, Thanks for reaching out, James is aware of the original issues, he apologised to me, said he needed time to look into things and would respond, and the outcome I asked James for was a SAFE home. Then James sent me BACK to Manifoldia Grange where more safeguarding issues have been raised and ignored. Elizabeth and I are still waiting for the response to everything Elizabeth, James, Sukhjinder and I discussed on February 6th 2025, James please send that today as a reasonable time has now passed. Shokat, could you please explain to me (because I'm a bit thick and can't communicate effectively with SMBC staff) why, a disabled 49 year old tenant of Sandwell Council spent the last few weeks in a flat with standard kitchen units and no grab rails, and is being sent back to a bungalow with steps in the back garden, when Elizabeth Deegan has been asking Sandwell Council to install wheelchair adaptations in one of their wheelchair accessible bungalows for a few years now? I look forward to hearing from you soon. Marie From: Shokat Lal < Shokat_Lal@sandwell.gov.uk > Sent: Monday, March 24, 2025 8:50:59 PM To: MarieBrownUK@outlook.com < MarieBrownUK@outlook.com > Subject: Responding to Linkedin message Hi Marie, I am just following up on the message you left on Linkedin on Sunday. I understand that there are some issues which you have raised and a number of officers need to look intoi, I have been told that they are looking into those and will be coming back to you but I would be happy for you to let me know the exact issues that need resolving? Thank you Shokat Shokat Lal Chief Executive Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council Sandwell Council House Freeth Street Oldbury B69 3DE Office: 07721 687878 www.sandwell.gov.uk

From

Shokat Lal <Shokat_Lal@sandwell.gov.uk>

To

Marie Brown <MarieBrownUK@outlook.com>

CC

"jadeharris@talbotslaw.co.uk" <jadeharris@talbotslaw.co.uk>, "elizabeth.deegan@aspire.org.uk" <elizabeth.deegan@aspire.org.uk>

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Hi Marie, I acknowledge receipt of your complaint and have put this into our formal complaints procedure. Thanks Shokat Shokat Lal Chief Executive Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council Sandwell Council House Freeth Street Oldbury B69 3DE Office: 07721 687878 www.sandwell.gov.uk From: Marie Brown <MarieBrownUK@outlook.com> Sent: 25 May 2025 17:18 To: Shokat Lal <Shokat_Lal@sandwell.gov.uk> Cc: jadeharris@talbotslaw.co.uk; elizabeth.deegan@aspire.org.uk Subject: Formal complaint about unsafe housing CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the Council / Children's Trust. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognise the sender and know the content is safe. Hello Shokat, I have been a tenant of Sandwell council for 15 years this summer, as a direct result of my tenancy I have been physically and mentally disabled yet SMBC staff have consistently refused legally required aids and adaptations and today, may 25 2025 i find myself at the hospital yet again receiving treatment because my home is unsafe. I would like to make an additional formal complaint that despite over twenty safeguarding referrals to SMBC during the last six months i am still unable to pee safely in my own home, or even access large areas of it from my wheelchair because it is NOT wheelchair accessible. Could you please explain why this wheelchair accessible home I moved into in November 2020 is not wheelchair accessible and why I have consistently been told that I am not eligible for these legally required adaptations and why no social worker has been to compete a care needs assessment face to face or provided a written copy of such an assessment for me, why I have not been provided with appropriate support to access benefits or complete life admin. I will be following SMBC policy and procedure for references as to when I should expect each stage of your response and remind you that seeking legal advice is not an appropriate reason to delay such responses given your cannot deny you have been made aware of these very serious safety and social care issues previously. Marie Brown https://discriminationinsandwell.uk/ #LetReePeeSafely #ShameSMBC @SandwellTenant

From

Marie Meronym <wobblywandereruk@outlook.com>

To

"Shokat Lal"

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Day 3 of hunger strike until SMBC provides legally required support for disabilities and James McLaughlin's response overdue since February. Refusal of aids and adaptations, floating support and carers is unlawful, the impacts on my physical and mental wellbeing are being well documented by multiple agencies who have seen recent correspondence between myself and SMBC staff, including not not limited to Fire Service, NHS, ambulance service, MP and more. Weight loss since returning to Sandwell. 61.5kg on February 17th 2025, 53kg presently because I can't afford food🤷🏽. 1 smoothie and 1 meal per day are not enough nutrition but without access to benefits I'm unable to afford more. Requested help to apply for benefits, aids and adaptations, carers etc multiple times but SMBC consistently refuse these requests and do not provide appropriate support for applications. Inaccessible housing - this property is not wheelchair accessible, I'm unable to follow the process to apply for aids and adaptations unless SMBC provides appropriate support, I'm unable to apply for alternative housing unless SMBC provides appropriate support. Vince McCalla closed Floating Support Request stating all issues were resoved. Staff up to CEO have ignored policy and procedure when communicating with me, correspondence demonstrates that the Equality Act and Human Rights Act are consistently ignored. Please provide wheelchair accessible housing, appropriate support for life admin/financial support, carers 6 hrs per week to assist with light domestic, social, shopping and community access, and James McLaughlin long over due response. I will not eat until appropriate support and housing have been provided but I will be publicly posting all correspondence as this is the ONLY way I've been able to access effective advice and support to challenge SMBC shenanigans. Sincerely, Marie Brown (I'll be changing my surname to Meronym by deed poll just as soon as I'm able to access the legally required support to do so.) Attached: examples of issues being raised

From

Marie Meronym <wobblywandereruk@outlook.com>

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"Shokat Lal"

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"Gaslighting is a very manipulative technique that can result in increased anxiety and depression in the person victimized by this behavior," says Le Goy. Science supports this, and studies show that gaslighting can even lead to psychosis. 🖕🏽👮🏽🚓👋🏽😘 You didn't even notice as my vocabulary grew, but everything you arseholes put me through so much uncertainty that I HAD to develop every psychological skill. I've a long way to go but my relationships and mental health are thriving so it's worth the effort. In February and March I studied how you were doing it, causing me to throw my rattle out of the pram I mean. It's so unlike me, I'm usually so calm🧘🏽 I confess you had me stumped for a long time because I couldn't understand my inability to withstand the stress.🤬🤬🤬 Then boom🤯 I'm as autistic as my brother😲, it just presents differently and my "journey" and "quirkiness" are me leaning into it and being myself anyway. 🤓🏞️🧑🏽‍💻❤️🧑🏽‍🦽 Profoundly grateful for the insight into my character, I've been searching for that missing piece my entire life, and I would have died not knowing that if you hadn't gone too far. 🙏🏽 I have made 100s of written requests for reasonable adjustments very carefully over the years using knowledge gained from roles at Citizens Advice, Michael Page etc. And found ways to record the outcomes that do not require me to say a word (because let's face it who would believe a word I say?) My friends and neighbours are amazing, not one person I've been open and honest with, face to face, has ever judged me harshly, even though I only share snippets/snapshots of the footage with each. So many incidents that are far worse in this footage, but I wouldn't want to upset my loved ones by letting them see🥹 A jury of strangers who agreed to look at upsetting stuff are fair game though😁 Other people are handling my life admin for me, a professional is going to try to unravel the financial mess your staff have left me in❤️ I'm less stressed and living my best life, just on a shoestring budget, gardening to blues (front garden only obviously, everyone knows I'm too phobic to use the back garden alone in case I fall down the steps and lie unconscious for an hour😳) with the help of neighbours It's such a shame SMBC own this neighbourhood, I'd happily stay here for years otherwise, might do that anyway once you and your friends have gone and the inevitable changes have been made to SMBC DEI team and policy etc. My friends and neighbours are my shield from SMBC until I go to court. I faced all my fears in Cornwall and as an honest person I have absolutely nothing to fear. Everyone I love and I mean everyone now, loves me for who I am. The good the bad and the ugly, they know the best and worst things I'm capable of and they love me still❤️ What are YOUR friends and family going to think when they see your emails, and learn what you'd do to try to save... What? Money? Your job? Protect a mate maybe? I look forward to learning the truth Shokat. Marie (Meronym just as soon as my friends can help me with the paperwork for this, they're concentrating on benefits and my car first👍🏽 The SMBC stuff is being handled by professionals, they'll be in touch)

From

"Info (SCIE)" <Info@scie.org.uk>

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"MarieMeronym@outlook.com" <MarieMeronym@outlook.com>

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Dear Marie, Thank you for including us in your email below. I am writing to confirm that Social Care Institute of Excellence (SCIE) are not in a position to act in response to your email as we have no regulatory duties. You may be aware already but if not, we have a web page Concerns about yours or someone else’s safety - SCIE that provides some information on how to take forward your concerns. Kind regards, Vijay Patel (he/him) | Head of Safeguarding| Social Care Institute for Excellence | T: 0203 8404080 | W: www.scie.org.uk | Isosceles Head Office, One High Street, Egham, TW20 9HJ | SCIE is a charity registered in England and Wales Reg. No. 1092778, Company Reg. No. 4289790 Please register for our SCIEline bulletin here - https://www.scie.org.uk/register/ Follow SCIE on LinkedIn , X or Facebook From: Marie Meronym < MarieMeronym@outlook.com > Sent: 20 December 2025 9:04 AM To: Shokat Lal < Shokat_Lal@sandwell.gov.uk > Cc: Sarah Coombes Coombes < Sarah.coombes.mp@parliament.uk >; Parvez Muzaffar < parvez_muzaffar@sandwell.gov.uk >; Nanette1 Parker < nanette1_parker@sandwell.gov.uk >; LCO Leadership Team < LCO@sandwell.gov.uk >; jackie_taylor@sandwell.gov.uk < jackie_taylor@sandwell.gov.uk >; Steve Melia SMBC Mayor < Mayors_parlour@sandwell.gov.uk >; james_mclaughlin@sandwell.gov.uk < james_mclaughlin@sandwell.gov.uk >; alan_lunt@sandwell.gov.uk < alan_lunt@sandwell.gov.uk >; Surjit Tour < surjit_tour@sandwell.gov.uk >; Lisa Ellis < Lisa_ellis@sandwell.gov.uk >; Janet Millett < janet_millett@sandwell.gov.uk >; Alice Davey < Alice1_Davey@sandwell.gov.uk >; Cathy Leyser < cathy_leyser@sandwell.gov.uk >; Christine Guest < christineanne_guest@sandwell.gov.uk >; Colin Marsh < colin_marsh@sandwell.gov.uk >; Kerrie Carmichael < kerrie_carmichael@sandwell.gov.uk >; David Wilcox < david_wilcock@sandwell.gov.uk >; Info Management < info_management@sandwell.gov.uk >; Koser Shaheen < Koser_Shaheen@sandwell.gov.uk >; Lina Martino < lina_martino@sandwell.gov.uk >; Lisa McNally < lisa_mcnally@sandwell.gov.uk >; Nigel Collumbell < nigel_collumbell@sandwell.gov.uk >; Paul Moore < paul_moore@sandwell.gov.uk >; Paul Fisher < paul_fisher@sandwell.gov.uk >; Rachel Cotterill < Rachel_Cotterill@sandwell.gov.uk >; Rashpal Bishop < rashpal_bishop@sandwell.gov.uk >; Sarah Ager < sarah_agar@sandwell.gov.uk >; Suzanne_Hartwell@Sandwell.gov.uk < suzanne_hartwell@sandwell.gov.uk >; Trisha Blackstock < trisha_blackstock@sandwell.gov.uk >; Vinod Verma < vinod_verma@sandwell.gov.uk >; Vicki_Smith@Sandwell.gov.uk < vicki_smith@sandwell.gov.uk >; WestBromwich Support < westbromwich_support@sandwell.gov.uk >; Sandwell Enquiry < sandwell_enquiry@sandwell.gov.uk > Subject: Open letter to Shokat Lal CAUTION: This email originated from outside of SCIE. Please exercise caution when responding, opening attachments and clicking links. Urgent: Non-Compliance with Complaints Procedure Dear Mr. Lal, I am writing to express my grave concern regarding the complete failure of Sandwell MBC to respond to my four formal complaints submitted since April. To date, I have received only two acknowledgements, neither of which adhere to your statutory policy or the requirements outlined in the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman guidance. Your staff’s ongoing disregard for established policy and procedure constitutes not only administrative negligence but potential breaches of statutory obligations, including but not limited to: The Local Government Act 2000 – mandating proper governance and accountability within local authorities. The Public Sector Equality Duty (Equality Act 2010, s.149) – requiring public bodies to eliminate unlawful discrimination, advance equality, and foster good relations. The Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 – protecting individuals raising concerns about maladministration. The Health and Social Care Act 2008 – establishing standards for safeguarding and quality care practices. It is particularly alarming given that Sandwell Council has previously been cited in government reports for “a deep-seated culture of poor governance and leadership” (BBC, 2022), with interventions required to rectify systemic failures. The ongoing lack of response undermines public confidence and continues a pattern of governance failures documented in prior investigations (BBC, 2022; BBC, 2021). I require an immediate, substantive response detailing how you will comply with your complaints policy, rectify the procedural breaches, and prevent further governance failures. Failure to respond promptly will leave me with no option but to escalate this matter to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman and pursue all appropriate legal remedies. Sincerely, Marie Meronym 🤬 X 🤐 Youtube 🧑🏽 ‍ 🏫 Facebook 📷 Instagram ⚖ ️ LinkedIn 🙏🏽 Nextdoor 🧑🏽 ‍ 🦽 Euan's Guide 🧑🏽 ‍ 🦽 Google Maps From: Shokat Lal < Shokat_Lal@sandwell.gov.uk > Sent: Monday, March 24, 2025 8:50:59 PM To: MarieBrownUK@outlook.com < MarieBrownUK@outlook.com > Subject: Responding to Linkedin message Hi Marie, I am just following up on the message you left on Linkedin on Sunday. I understand that there are some issues which you have raised and a number of officers need to look intoi, I have been told that they are looking into those and will be coming back to you but I would be happy for you to let me know the exact issues that need resolving? Thank you Shokat Shokat Lal Chief Executive Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council Sandwell Council House Freeth Street Oldbury B69 3DE Office: 07721 687878 www.sandwell.gov.uk