Case Ref: 23 018 025 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Disabled facilities grants

• 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.

Case Ref: 23 017 415 Category: Education Sub Category: School transport

• 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.

Case Ref: 23 017 219 Category: Education Sub Category: School transport

• •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.

Case Ref: 23 016 475 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• 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.

Case Ref: 23 015 424 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• 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.

Case Ref: 23 015 394 Category: Transport and highways Sub Category: Parking and other penalties

• 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.

Case Ref: 23 015 247 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• 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.

Case Ref: 23 014 498 Category: Transport and highways Sub Category: Highway repair and maintenance

• 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.

Case Ref: 23 013 396 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• 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.

Case Ref: 23 012 872 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• 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.