Case Ref: 25 000 375 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Charging

• The Council will issue written reminders to relevant staff to ensure they complete financial assessments within a reasonable timescale and without undue delay. Staff should also ensure they send the financial assessment to the individual/their representative via their preferred method of communication.

Case Ref: 24 023 098 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• The Council has agreed to update information on its website to clearly outline its role in complaints about supported exempt accommodation and who complaints should be directed to.
• The Council has agreed to provide guidance to relevant staff about the Council’s role in dealing with complaints about supported exempt accommodation.
• The Council has agreed to investigate why a request for a review was not actioned, and take action to ensure requests are not missed in future.
• The Council has agreed to remind complaints handling staff that complaints should not be dismissed as duplicates unless all matters within the complaint have previously been addressed.
• The Council has agreed to provide training and/or guidance to ensure staff are aware that they must make enquiries and issue a written decision if they have reason to believe someone may be homeless or threatened with homelessness.

Case Ref: 24 021 904 Category: Environment and regulation Sub Category: Other

• The Council agreed to consider amending its website to manage resident’s expectations around timescales for responding to and carrying out street cleaning requests. The Council also agreed to consider whether it is appropriate to amend the timescales throughout the year where other priorities may impact on the timeliness of responding to cleaning requests.

Case Ref: 24 020 825 Category: Benefits and tax Sub Category: Housing benefit and council tax benefit

• The Council also agreed to remind officers to refer cases to its appeals team if disputed decisions are not changed following a reconsideration request

Case Ref: 24 018 891 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Charging

• The Council will complete contract monitoring checks to ensure a local adult care provider is adhering to call durations in council-commissioned care packages. This can be by a sample of care packages for the previous three months.

Case Ref: 24 017 769 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council will ensure it has robust procedures to check provision is secured after a Tribunal decision within the time limit.
• The Council will keep clear records of its decisions following Tribunal recommendations in ‘extended appeals’ and ensure it provides detailed reasons in writing to the family within five weeks of the recommendation.
• Children’s social care assessments and care plans will be completed in a timely way with provision put in place as soon as possible.
• The Council will review how it manages complex EOTAS packages to ensure provision is co-ordinated and monitored as set out in the Plan by a suitably experienced officer.

Case Ref: 24 017 036 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• The Council has agreed to remind relevant staff of the process to follow when a request is made for a direct let.

Case Ref: 24 016 918 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• The Council has agreed to remind relevant officers to accurately record the reason housing applicants have given for refusing offers of accommodation.
• The Council has agreed to remind relevant officers that the 21-day timescale for considering reviews of housing priority decisions starts from the date of the decision, not the date the accommodation was refused.
• The Council has agreed to amend its housing allocation scheme to make it clear that all applicants in Band A will be demoted to Band D if they refuse a suitable offer of accommodation.

Case Ref: 24 016 565 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• The Council has agreed to ensure housing applicants are able to provide their reasons if they are unable to provide all the documents the Council requires them to submit. The Council will then consider this information before deciding whether to close their housing application as incomplete due to missing documents.