Service improvements

Birmingham City 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 1 - 6 of 6 cases with service improvements

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

  • Birmingham City Council (25 028 397)

    Category: Environment and regulation Date: 06-May-2026

    Summary

    Mrs B complained the Council has failed to address anti-social behaviour (ASB) that her daughter, Ms C, is experiencing. The Council was at fault. It failed to consider Ms C’s ASB reports and its full range of ASB powers, and decide whether it should take ASB enforcement action. Ms C suffered distress and frustration as a result. The Council has agreed to apologise to Ms C, contact Ms C about the current ASB and decide what action it should take, and issue staff guidance.

    Service improvements

    The Council will share our findings on the case with relevant staff, along with guidance which outlines the Council’s ASB powers under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014. This will help to ensure relevant staff are aware of the Council's full range of ASB powers and do not fail to consider ASB reports made to it.

  • Birmingham City Council (25 008 459)

    Category: Education Date: 07-May-2026

    Summary

    Miss X complained the Council failed to provide alternative education for her child, Y after they were permanently excluded from school. We found the Council at fault for a delay in making alternative provision for Y resulting in a loss of educational provision and distress. The Council agreed to apologise and make a symbolic payment to Miss X to remedy the injustice caused. It also agreed to carry out service improvements to prevent reoccurrence of the fault.

    Service improvements

    The Council will review the cases of each of the 137 permanently excluded pupils placed on the waiting list between December 2024 and March 2025. Where its six-day statutory duty to provide alternative provision was not met it will:1. contact the parent or guardian of those identified pupils and advise them it did not meet its six-day statutory duty for alternative provision and provide them with an update; and 2. provide details about how those identified can complain through the Council’s corporate complaint procedure.The Council will produce an action plan to identify how it will meet its six-day statutory duty to provide alternative provision to pupils after permanent exclusion. The action plan should include but is not limited to:1. a review its commissioning arrangements with alternative provision providers to ensure it has sufficient capacity;2. the actions it will undertake to reduce capacity constraints within its alternative provision system; 3. the actions it will take to reduce current waiting lists and times for permanently excluded pupils; and 4. timeframes for any action to be taken.

  • Birmingham City Council (25 006 805)

    Category: Housing Date: 27-May-2026

    Summary

    The Council was at fault for the time taken to carry out a suitability review and for providing incorrect information about how to challenge this decision. The Council was also at fault for leaving Mr X’s family in accommodation for two months after it decided the accommodation was unsuitable. To remedy the injustice caused the Council agreed to apologise, make a payment to Mr X and ensure its review letters contained the correct information.

    Service improvements

    The Council will ensure that it’s homelessness review decision letters contain the correct paragraph at the end telling customers that they can challenge the decision in the county court, not by asking for a further review.

  • Birmingham City Council (25 005 975)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 28-May-2026

    Summary

    Mrs X complained the Council failed to offer her mother-in-law a choice of residential care home accommodation and wrongly charged her a top up fee. We found fault by the Council in not offering an alternative placement that did not require a top up fee. We consider the Council’s offer to reimburse some of the top up fees and a payment for time and trouble with an apology and service improvement provides a suitable remedy.

    Service improvements

    The Council will remind relevant staff of the need to ensure service users have a genuine choice of accommodation and are offered at least one available and suitable care home within their personal budget without the need for a top up fee.

  • Birmingham City Council (25 001 117)

    Category: Education Date: 21-May-2026

    Summary

    We have found fault by the Council. It failed to secure the special educational provision specified in Y’s Education, Health and Care Plan promptly following issue of the final amended Plan in November 2024, resulting in Y missing specialist provision. The Council has agreed to our recommendations.

    Service improvements

    Review its process for implementing Education, Health and Care Plans following Tribunal decisions to ensure that special educational provision specified in Section F is secured promptly upon issue of the final Plan and is not delayed by internal funding approval or panel processes.

  • Birmingham City Council (24 023 321)

    Category: Housing Date: 26-Apr-2026

    Summary

    We find that the Council failed to update its records and activate Miss B’s housing application after informing her in December 2023 that it owed her the main housing duty. This meant Miss B was unable to bid for housing, remained in temporary accommodation for longer than necessary and was put to avoidable time, trouble, and frustration in pursuing the matter. To remedy this, the Council has agreed to apologise and make a payment to Miss B. It has also agreed to make service improvements.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to remind relevant staff of the need to promptly update records following the outcome of homelessness reviews.The Council has agreed to review its procedures to ensure that decisions made by homelessness review officers are recorded accurately and promptly across all relevant housing systems.

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