Case Ref: 24 016 073 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• •Remind relevant staff of the Council’s duties to adhere to statutory timescales in the annual review process.
• •Remind relevant staff of the Council’s duties under section 19 of the Education Act 1996 and section 42 of the Children and Families Act 2014.
• •Remind relevant staff of the importance of effective complaint handling.

Case Ref: 24 012 349 Category: Transport and highways Sub Category: Parking and other penalties

• The Council will update information on its website to include information about the backlog of approved applications for dropped kerbs and give an approximate timescale for completion of works following payment of the agreed fee.

Case Ref: 24 009 995 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council has agreed to demonstrate to the Ombudsman it has a mechanism in place to ensure annual reviews of Education, Health and Care Plans are not missed.

Case Ref: 24 007 865 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Assessment and care plan

• In writing, remind staff of the importance of responding to communications within a reasonable timeframe.

Case Ref: 24 006 068 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Other

• In writing, remind staff of the importance of meeting timescales outlined in the children’s statutory complaint procedure.

Case Ref: 24 005 620 Category: Education Sub Category: Alternative provision

• The Council will remind its SEND officers to adhere to statutory timescales when carrying out Education, Health and Care needs assessments to ensure Education, Health and Care Plans are issued by the 20 week deadline.
• The Council will review its communication process between departments involved in education to ensure that where there is evidence that a child is not attending school that it is communicated to the relevant officers so a decision can be made, at the time whether a duty is owed to provide alternative provision to the child.
• The Council will provide the Ombudsman with evidence that it has reviewed its communication process with schools to ensure information about children not attending school is passed to the Council at the earliest opportunity.

Case Ref: 24 005 151 Category: Environment and regulation Sub Category: Refuse and recycling

• The Council will issue a staff briefing to remind relevant staff of the importance of effective complaint responses and addressing all concerns raised by service users within them. This will help to ensure service users get a clear and full response to their complaints, ensuring all problems are addressed and prevent future complaints.

Case Ref: 24 004 805 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council has agreed to take steps to ensure all decisions are properly recorded.
• The Council has agreed to investigate why the housing applicant's priority was reduced and take action to avoid such errors in future.
• The Council has agreed to review its procedures to ensure that, once a matter under review is resolved, the review is promptly closed.
• The Council has agreed to provide evidence of the action it is taking to ensure housing applicants do not receive blank attachments when officers are recreating letters.

Case Ref: 24 004 224 Category: Other Categories Sub Category: Leisure and culture

• Remind staff to provide clear rationale for decisions, and to ensure all complaint points have been addressed before issuing a response.

Case Ref: 24 003 735 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Direct payments

• The Counil will remind relevant staff members of the need to complete support plans in a timely fashion and ensure interim arrangements are put in place in the event of a dispute over direct payments.