Service improvements

Birmingham City Council

Showing service improvements between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025

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 21 - 30 of 39 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 (23 018 025)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 20-Oct-2024

    Summary

    Mr X complained the Council delayed carrying out housing adaptations to a Council owned property required to meet a family member, Mr Y’s, needs. Mr X also complained about poor communication and delayed complaints handling. The Council was at fault. It delayed progressing the major housing adaptation, communicated poorly and delayed responding to Mr X’s complaint. This caused Mr X and Mr Y an injustice. The Council has already apologised. It will also make a symbolic payment and act to improve its services.

    Service improvements

    The Council will provide the Ombudsman with an update on its review around housing installation of aids and adaptations. In carrying out the review the Council will ensure Council tenants are not disadvantaged compared to those living in other housing tenures in how it deals with requests for adaptations and applicants are kept updated on timescales for works and any delays.

  • Birmingham City Council (23 017 415)

    Category: Education Date: 05-Jun-2024

    Summary

    There was some fault in the way the Council decided an application for school transport for a child below compulsory school age. Irrelevant factors were considered and referred to in decision letters. However, I am not persuaded the fault affected the outcome of the application or caused significant injustice. The Council will make service improvements to prevent a recurrence of the fault.

    Service improvements

    The Council will remind staff to provide tailored decision letters for school transport decisions that take into account the age category of the applicant and will ensure assessments consider hidden disabilities or SEN / behavioural difficulties that may affect walking as well as physical disabilities.

  • Birmingham City Council (23 017 219)

    Category: Education Date: 24-Jul-2024

    Summary

    Mrs X complained the Council refused to provide her son, Y, with school transport. Mrs X explained Y has additional needs, attends a special school and it was unsafe for him to walk to school. She said this caused Y and her distress because Y’s behaviours mean he is at risk of running towards vehicles when walking near a road. There was fault in the way the Council did not properly consider Mrs X’s application and Y’s needs. Mrs X was frustrated by this fault. The Council should apologise, make a financial payment, review the application and provide training to relevant staff.

    Service improvements

    •Remind all officers who carry out transport appeal, and those who send decision letters of the requirement to consider all the evidence presented and properly record and evidence how it reached the decision, in line with statutory guidance.•Arrange staff training for relevant staff on the Council’s duties set out in the statutory guidance. This training should also include awareness of SEN and disability. It should also include the need to take account of disabilities and the impact on the child’s health and safety, as well as mobility, when assessing school transport applications.

  • Birmingham City Council (23 016 475)

    Category: Housing Date: 15-Jul-2024

    Summary

    The Council delayed assessing Miss B’s housing application and then wrongly decided not to carry out a review of its decision. 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 take action to ensure its officers are aware that they should not close a review because an applicant has started to make a new application.

  • Birmingham City Council (23 015 424)

    Category: Housing Date: 12-Aug-2024

    Summary

    The Council failed to provide suitable accommodation when Mr B and his family were homeless. It placed the family in bed and breakfast accommodation for over 41 weeks, 35 weeks over the maximum time such accommodation can be used for homeless applicants with dependent children. The Council has agreed to make a payment to Mr B to remedy his family’s injustice. It has also agreed to make service improvements.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to change its letter template to ensure that when applicants with dependent children are placed in B & B accommodation under the interim or main housing duty, they are informed that the Homelessness Code of Guidance states that this should be limited to no more than six weeks.

  • Birmingham City Council (23 015 394)

    Category: Transport and highways Date: 11-Jun-2024

    Summary

    Mrs B complained about how the Council dealt with PCNs issued to her. The Council and its agent were not clear in how it would deal with information Mrs B sent it saying that she was vulnerable. The Council did not deal with Mrs B’s complaint to it properly. These shortcomings caused Mrs B distress and uncertainty. The Council has decided not to recover the unpaid balance. I have recommended it takes further action to remedy this complaint.

    Service improvements

    The Council will ensure that it shares this decision with relevant staff and remind them of the need to follow the complaints policy, and be clear in its correspondence with complainants about this.The Council will ensure that it shares this decision with relevant staff dealing with vulnerable debtors, including those employed by its bailiff contractor. It should remind staff that it needs to consider vulnerability promptly and clearly coordinate action between the Council and the bailiff.The Council will put into a written document its process for dealing with vulnerable debtors who owe money other than council tax, including when an account should be returned to it. The Council should ensure it shares this policy or process with relevant staff.

  • Birmingham City Council (23 015 247)

    Category: Education Date: 30-Jul-2024

    Summary

    Mrs X complains about the Council’s failure to carry out an annual review within statutory timescales, and the delivery of Section H provision to her daughter, Y. Mrs X also complains about the Council’s decision to stop making personal budget payments directly to her. We intend to conclude our investigation having made a finding of fault. We found the Council failed to carry out an annual review when it should have, and failed to inform Mrs X it did not agree with the Tribunals’ recommendations. We did not find fault for the Council’s decision to stop making personal budget payments direct to Mrs X, and have not seen evidence that the Council’s decision impacted the delivery of provision to Y. The Council has agreed to our recommendations.

    Service improvements

    Complete a review of the process around Tribunal outcomes, with a view to ensuring any decision reached by the Council is communicated by the deadline. The Council will provide the Ombudsman with the outcome of its review.

  • Birmingham City Council (23 014 498)

    Category: Transport and highways Date: 30-May-2024

    Summary

    Mr X complains the Council has failed to carry out its duty to install Public Right of Way signs in the local area. The Ombudsman finds fault with the Council for the service failure in the implementation of the signs. The Council has agreed to apologise, pay Mr X a financial remedy and carry out service improvements.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to ensure that signs A and B are in place on the local Public Right of Way.The Council has agreed to develop an action plan on how it will manage sign replacement going forward. This should include how it will communicate about expectations and timeframes with Mr X and members of the public.

  • Birmingham City Council (23 013 396)

    Category: Housing Date: 18-Jun-2024

    Summary

    The Council used the wrong dates to prioritise Miss B’s housing application. It also significantly delayed considering a request for a review of its decision and then wrongly decided not to carry out a review. We have recommended and the Council has agreed to apologise and make a symbolic payment to Miss B. We have also recommended service improvements.

    Service improvements

    Share the learning from the case at the Council’s next “lessons to be learned quarterly session” with all staff.Highlights this case to the reviewing officer, to ensure reviews are properly carried out in future.

  • Birmingham City Council (23 012 872)

    Category: Housing Date: 25-Jul-2024

    Summary

    The Council failed to provide suitable accommodation for Ms B and her family when they were homeless. It placed the family in bed and breakfast accommodation for 32 weeks, 26 weeks over the maximum time such accommodation can be used for homeless applicants with dependent children. The Council has agreed to make a payment to Ms B to remedy her family’s injustice. It has also agreed to make service improvements.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to provide training or guidance to relevant officers to ensure they are properly considering relevant matters when carrying out homelessness assessments, in accordance with the homelessness code of guidance, and that they are completing personalised housing plans appropriately.The Council has agreed to change its letter template to ensure that when the Council places a family with dependent children in bed and breakfast accommodation under the interim or main housing duty, it confirms that the Homelessness Code of Guidance states this should be limited to no more than six weeks.The Council has agreed to take action to ensure it is able to respond to complaints within the timeframes set out in its complaints procedure.

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