Case Ref: 21 014 386 Category: Benefits and tax Sub Category: Housing benefit and council tax benefit

• The Council agreed to review its recovery procedure to ensure it contains sufficient guidance for staff on checking the complete history of a case before pursuing recovery and that staff are aware of the correct recovery procedure.

Case Ref: 21 014 172 Category: Benefits and tax Sub Category: Council tax

• The Council will review the wording of its complaint responses where it offers a remedy payment to ensure complainants are accurately advised of their options.

Case Ref: 21 014 058 Category: Benefits and tax Sub Category: Other

• 2. The Council should also ensure all correspondence on a case is properly responded to before any legal steps are taken to recover local taxation debts.3. The Council should provide evidence of this in the next three months.

Case Ref: 21 013 522 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• The Council has agreed to provide a report to show whether it has reduced delays in responding to complaints following the introduction of a new system to record and track complaints. If delays have not reduced, it will provide a plan with details of the action it will take to address this.
• The Council has agreed to remind its homelessness case officers of the importance of proper record keeping.
• The Council has agreed to remind its complaints officers that they should respond to all aspects of a complaint.

Case Ref: 21 013 496 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Child protection

• The Council will act to improve the quality of its childrens services call handling by:restarting monthly quality monitoring of calls;amending the call handling quality monitoring framework to include additional questions about anonymous calls; andamending the team meeting agenda framework to add discussion about instances of social workers refusing to take anonymous calls as a standing item.

Case Ref: 21 013 125 Category: Transport and highways Sub Category: Parking and other penalties

• The Council agreed to provide us with an explanation of the interim measures it has taken to ensure it considers representations against paid Penalty Charge Notices while it fixes a software issue which currently prevents this.

Case Ref: 21 012 624 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• The Council has agreed to review its procedures for dealing with housing applications from applicants who are unable to use the internet and do not have access to email. Where the Council is aware that the applicant is unable to access the internet, it will ensure all correspondence is sent by post, and that applicants are not unreasonably disadvantaged because they cannot use the online bidding system.

Case Ref: 21 012 352 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Assessment and care plan

• The Council will issue written reminders to relevant staff to ensure they share care plans with service users and their relatives without unnecessary delay.
• The Council will issue written reminders to relevant staff to ensure they make a reasonable effort to involve a service user’s family in a review of their care and support needs.

Case Ref: 21 011 871 Category: Transport and highways Sub Category: Parking and other penalties

• The Council will implement a new process to ensure cases are re-opened upon submission of representations within 28 days following payment of a penalty charge notice.

Case Ref: 21 011 093 Category: Environment and regulation Sub Category: Trees

• The Council will review its process in dealing with high hedge complaints to ensure it is clear what action should be taken and the issues that should be considered, particularly where there is non-compliance with a remedial order and a decision is needed about whether enforcement action is needed. It will provide staff training or guidance to ensure all relevant staff are aware of the process and any changes made to it as a result of the review.
• The Council will consider developing an information sheet so complainants know what to expect and the factors the Council will consider in dealing with high hedge complaints.