Service improvements

Birmingham City Council

Showing service improvements between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024

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 - 2 of 2 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 (23 007 017)

    Category: Education Date: 07-Feb-2024

    Summary

    Ms X complained about the outcome of a home to school transport appeal for her son, Y. We found fault because the Council failed to properly record the deliberations by the appeal panels and show how the panels arrived at their decisions to refuse Y school transport. It also failed to provide sufficient detail in its decision letters. This has caused Ms X and Y distress and uncertainty. The Council has agreed to apologise to Ms X and hold a fresh stage 2 appeal panel. If it decides to award Y with school transport it has agreed to consider whether to make payments to Ms X and Y to recognise the injustice caused by its earlier decisions. So we have completed our investigation.

    Service improvements

    Remind all officers who carry out stage 1 appeals and stage 2 school transport appeal panels, and those who send decision letters of the requirement to consider all of the evidence presented and properly record and evidence how it reached the decision, in line with statutory guidance.

  • Birmingham City Council (23 005 066)

    Category: Education Date: 15-Jan-2024

    Summary

    Miss X complained about the Council’s failure to properly consider all the professional reports about her child’s, Y, health condition and educational needs. Miss X said as a result, the Council failed to provide Y, who cannot attend school due to medical reasons, with alternative provision. There were faults by the Council for its failure to properly consider Y’s case and for its failure to provide him with alternative provision. This has led to ongoing loss of education and support to Y, and it caused Miss X distress, frustration and worry. The Council will take action to remedy the injustice caused.

    Service improvements

    Ask its commissioned alternative provider(s) to inform the Council when its placement reaches full capacity. This is to ensure the Council retains sufficient oversight of its commissioned alternative provision.Review and monitor the Council’s alternative provision process. Provide the Ombudsman with an action plan to demonstrate how the Council will meet statutory timescales for providing children who are unable to attend school with alternative provision in line with section 19 of the Education Act 1996Finalise the Council’s draft policy on ‘Education for pupils unable to attend school for medical reasons’. The Council should publish the final copy of the policy on its website and send a copy to the Ombudsman.

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