Case Ref: 22 005 091 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• The Council will review its latest housing allocations policy and any relevant guidance to staff to make sure the process and evidence requirements for assessing banding based on the need to move due to the threat of violence or harassment are clear. This should include clear directions on when and what information should be confirmed with the Police about the potential threat and, if relevant, the circumstances when a risk assessment by the referral agency should be carried out. The Council has agreed to include information on the Home-Choice website to advise applicants that the housing assessment for exceptional need is informed by a risk assessment that is completed by the Police. The Council will circulate any updates made following the review of its Policy to relevant members of staff.
• The Council will circulate a reminder to relevant members of staff that all valid review requests, including those made by Council Officers by completing an exceptional need form, should be treated as such and progressed in line with its Housing Allocations Policy.

Case Ref: 22 005 052 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council has agreed to provide an update on the action it is taking to ensure homeless families do not remain in accommodation with shared facilities for more than six weeks. It will also provide evidence to show the number of families who have been in such accommodation for more than six weeks, and the average length of time homeless families have to stay before self-contained accommodation is provided.
• The Council has agreed to review its processes to ensure that when it is carrying out a suitability of accommodation review and decides the applicant needs to be moved to alternative temporary accommodation, it writes to them with its decision on the review.

Case Ref: 22 003 460 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council has agreed to provide an update on the action it is taking to ensure homeless families do not remain in bed and breakfast accommodation for more than six weeks. It will also provide evidence to show the number of families who have been in such accommodation for more than six weeks, and the average length of time homeless families have to stay before self-contained accommodation is provided.
• The Council has agreed to remind relevant staff that homelessness applicants must be told about their right to request a review of the suitability of the accommodation.
• The Council has agreed to review its processes for extending hotel bookings to ensure that, wherever possible, it does not wait until the date the homeless applicant is due to check out before trying to extend the booking.

Case Ref: 22 002 168 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• The Council has agreed to review its procedures to ensure that when it closes a housing application due to a housing related debt, its letter to the applicant includes a full description of the debt and the amount outstanding.
• The Council has agreed to provide an update on its performance in dealing with complaints along with details of the action it has taken over the last four months to reduce delays.
• The Council has agreed to provide an updated action plan showing the action it is taking to reduce delays in dealing with housing allocation applications and review requests. It will state how long it is currently taking to process housing applications and reviews and it will provide a report to show how the time it is taking has changed over the last year. If delays have not significantly reduced, it will explain the reason for this.

Case Ref: 22 000 372 Category: Planning Sub Category: Enforcement

• The Council will provide the Ombudsman with an action plan showing how and by when it will address any remaining backlog in planning enforcement complaints.

Case Ref: 21 011 595 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Residential care

• The Council has agreed to liaise with the Care Home to ensure it has taken appropriate steps to make staff familiar with the Visitors Policy and Procedure and the actions to take before excluding a visitor.

Case Ref: 21 008 052 Category: Environment and regulation Sub Category: Other

• The Council will remind complaint handling staff of the Ombudsman’s remit and to signpost to us within a final response where appropriate.

Case Ref: 22 009 851 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council will take action to ensure it can access the casework records of staff working in its Special Educational Needs department, even after they have left employment with the Council.

Case Ref: 22 008 463 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• Provide the Ombudsman with an updated report to show what impact the measures it has taken to deal with the backlog of reviews have had.

Case Ref: 22 008 408 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council will review how it considers and deals with Education, Health and Care plan cases with the Special Education Needs and Disability tribunal. It should ensure it has processes in place to ensure it is able to start providing provision in line with any tribunal orders by the statutory timescales after an order is given.