Service improvements

West Northamptonshire Council

Showing service improvements between 1 April 2022 and 31 March 2023

Find out more about service improvements

When we find fault, we can recommend improvements to systems and processes where they haven’t worked properly, so that others do not suffer from these same problems in future. Common examples are policy changes; procedural reviews; and staff training. Service improvements from decisions are published for 5 years and those from reports are published for 10 years.

Showing 11 - 15 of 15 cases with service improvements

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Downloads the current filtered list of service improvement decisions for West Northamptonshire Council as a CSV file.

  • West Northamptonshire Council (21 015 756)

    Category: Housing Date: 13-Apr-2022

    Summary

    Ms X complained about the way the Council responded when she asked to move house because she was at risk of domestic abuse. This caused Ms X distress. We found fault with the Council. The Council agreed actions to remedy the injustice to Ms X.

    Service improvements

    • Review its approach to joint complaint handling with NPH. Provide the Ombudsman with evidence of what changes it made as a result of this investigation.• Provide evidence of the procedure the Council introduced in relation to cases where the perpetrator is due to be released from prison.• Remind relevant officers of which complaints should be referred to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman and Housing Ombudsman.

  • West Northamptonshire Council (21 014 130)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 29-Jun-2022

    Summary

    Mrs X complained the Council gave incorrect advice and incorrectly assessed her father’s contribution towards care charges, causing distress and financial loss. We found the Council gave incorrect advice but we found no fault in its decision making on care charges. We recommended the Council pay Mrs X £300 for distress and act to prevent recurrence.

    Service improvements

    The Council will remind staff in its Adult Social Care Team that they should not give financial advice, as happened in this case concerning the management of assets in respect of care charging.

  • West Northamptonshire Council (21 011 872)

    Category: Benefits and tax Date: 05-May-2022

    Summary

    Mr N complains about the Council not providing calculations of his council tax reduction awards. He also complains about the Council’s decision on one of those awards. We uphold the complaint about the calculations. But we have not looked at the substantive issue about the decision. That is because it is a reasonable expectation for Mr N to appeal that decision.

    Service improvements

    The Council will provide clarification to benefits officers of the amount of information they need to provide a taxpayer who requests a detailed breakdown of their council tax reduction calculation.

  • West Northamptonshire Council (21 010 780)

    Category: Education Date: 29-Jun-2022

    Summary

    There was delay by the Council. It took 23 weeks longer than it should have done to issue an Education, Health and Care plan after it was directed to do so by a tribunal. The Council was also at fault as it delayed getting specialist reports during the assessment of a child, Y’s, needs. A financial payment to the Y’s family remedies any injustice from the delay in identifying and providing education, which Miss X says has caused Y significant distress.

    Service improvements

    The Council should review its procedures to ensure that officers are aware of the need to meet timescales set by the SEND tribunal.The Council should review its procedures for EHC plan needs assessment to ensure that the correct professional reports are requested without delay.

  • West Northamptonshire Council (21 010 500)

    Category: Children's care services Date: 14-Jun-2022

    Summary

    Mrs A complained on behalf of Mrs X that the Council did not keep her informed of the actions it took following an investigation into Mrs X’s complaint about Children’s Services. Mrs A says the Council did not provide Mrs X with an update as agreed and says the Council’s actions have caused Mrs X avoidable distress. We found fault by the Council in this matter. The Council has agreed to apologise to Mrs X, carry out a review of its processes and make a payment to Mrs X to recognise the injustice caused.

    Service improvements

    Remind staff that where complaints are considered via the children’s statutory complaints process, parents are notified of their ability to request a stage three hearing where appropriate.Carry out a review of the referral process between the MASH and the DCT to examine ways to improve the existing process, in line with the agreed recommendations of the stage two report. The review process should be clearly documented with records kept of decisions and the rationale behind them. It should also include examining ways to improve communication with parents;Inform parents via its decision letters where appropriate, that the threshold criteria for the DCT is available onlineNotify parents via its decision letters where appropriate, that they can challenge unsuccessful referral requests via the complaints procedure

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