Case Ref: 24 014 814 Category: Education Sub Category: School transport

• •Remind those dealing with school transport cases of the need to ensure parents/ carers are given the opportunity to attend appeal panel hearings should they wish to.
• •Advise those dealing with transport appeals of the need to ensure the panel is quorate and of the need to keep clear records of the panel decision and reasons.

Case Ref: 24 013 261 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• The Council has agreed to review the documents required for new applicants and existing tenants, ensuring that applicants are not asked to provide unnecessary evidence.
• The Council has agreed to review its procedures to ensure it assesses applications which have been made in accordance with the allocation scheme. Unless the Council changes its allocation scheme, it will not consider applications to be incomplete when the applicant has provided the documents listed in paragraph 2.2.3 of its housing allocation scheme.
• The Council has agreed to consider amending its procedures to give applicants additional time to submit missing documents before their application is closed, to prevent unnecessary delays. If the Council continues to close applications without giving applicants an opportunity to submit any missing documents, it will amend the application form to include a clear warning about the consequences of not submitting all required evidence.

Case Ref: 24 012 924 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• The Council has agreed to review its procedures to ensure it checks which documents a housing applicant has already provided and does not base its decision on only the documents submitted with the latest application. It will also remind all officers that a thorough check of all documents previously provided should be undertaken.
• The Council has agreed to consider amending its procedures to give housing applicants additional time to submit missing documents before their application is closed, to prevent unnecessary delays. If it decides not to amend its procedures, it will amend the application form to include a clear warning about the consequences of not submitting all required evidence.

Case Ref: 24 012 812 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• The Council has agreed to review the documents required for new housing applicants, joint tenants, existing tenants and household members, ensuring that applicants are not asked to provide unnecessary evidence. It will also ensure that staff training is provided so that officers are aware of the different evidence requirements for each applicant type.
• The Council has agreed to provide information to housing applicants on its website and its application form about the evidence it will accept as proof of address if they do not have a council tax bill or utility bill in their name.
• The Council has agreed to review its procedures to ensure it assesses applications which have been made in accordance with the allocation scheme. Unless the Council changes its allocation scheme, it should not consider applications to be incomplete when a transfer applicant has not provided evidence of their eligibility or when a member of the household has not provided documents.
• The Council has agreed to consider amending its procedures to give applicants additional time to submit missing documents before closing their applications, to prevent unnecessary delays. If the Council continues to close applications without giving applicants an opportunity to submit any missing documents, it will amend the application form to include a clear warning about the consequences of not submitting all required evidence.

Case Ref: 24 012 230 Category: Benefits and tax Sub Category: Council tax

• The Council will ensure that emails to its council tax department receive an automated acknowledgement, so senders know they have been received. The automated acknowledgement should make clear that senders should call the council tax department if a matter is urgent.
• The Council will share a copy of this decision with council tax staff to identify learning from this complaint.

Case Ref: 24 012 178 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• The Council has agreed to review the documents required for new housing applicants, joint tenants and household members, ensuring that applicants are not asked to provide unnecessary evidence. It will also ensure staff training is provided so that officers are aware of the different evidence requirements for each applicant type.
• The Council has agreed to ensure that housing applicants are clearly informed about which documents are required, with consistent information across the allocation scheme, website, application form and any correspondence.
• The Council has agreed to consider amending its procedures to give housing applicants additional time to submit missing documents before closing their applications, to prevent unnecessary delays. If the Council continues to close applications without giving applicants an opportunity to submit any missing documents, it will amend the application form to include a clear warning about the consequences of not submitting all required evidence.

Case Ref: 24 012 111 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• The Council has agreed to review the documents required for new housing applicants and existing tenants, ensuring that applicants are not asked to provide unnecessary evidence. It will also ensure that staff training is provided to ensure that officers are aware of the different evidence requirements for each applicant type.
• The Council has agreed to review its procedures to ensure it assesses housing applications which have been made in accordance with the allocation scheme. Unless the Council changes its allocation scheme, it will not consider applications to be incomplete because a transfer applicant has not provided evidence of their eligibility.
• The Council has agreed to consider amending its procedures to give housing applicants additional time to submit missing documents before their application is closed, to prevent unnecessary delays. If it decides not to amend its procedures, it will amend the application form to include a clear warning about the consequences of not submitting all required evidence.

Case Ref: 24 010 957 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• Draw up an action plan, with timescales, setting out the action the Council will take to ensure it carries out the Education, Health and Care Plan process in accordance with the statutory timescales. This is to ensure the Council issues final Education, Health and Care Plans within the statutory timescales.
• By training or other means, remind officers of the Council’s duty to secure the special educational needs provision set out in an Education, Health and Care Plan from the date the final Plan is issued. This is to ensure the delays in delivering provision that occurred in Y’s case do not recur.

Case Ref: 24 009 205 Category: Environment and regulation Sub Category: Other

• The Council will introduce a written policy and/or procedure for how it and its contractors deal with abandoned vehicles.

Case Ref: 24 007 520 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• The Council has agreed to ensure officers can record the actual reason a housing applicant has not been offered a property, and not just one from a pre-populated list.
• The Council has agreed to ensure Green Square Accord is aware that if it is considering an application from a Council nominated applicant, it must allocate the property in accordance with the nominations agreement.
• The Council has agreed to ask Green Square Accord to keep a record of all telephone contact with nominated housing applicants.
• The Council has agreed to consider improving its systems to allow better information sharing between Registered Providers and the Council.