Case Ref: 24 012 230 Category: Benefits and tax Sub Category: Council tax

• The Council will ensure that emails to its council tax department receive an automated acknowledgement, so senders know they have been received. The automated acknowledgement should make clear that senders should call the council tax department if a matter is urgent.
• The Council will share a copy of this decision with council tax staff to identify learning from this complaint.

Case Ref: 24 012 178 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• The Council has agreed to review the documents required for new housing applicants, joint tenants and household members, ensuring that applicants are not asked to provide unnecessary evidence. It will also ensure staff training is provided so that officers are aware of the different evidence requirements for each applicant type.
• The Council has agreed to ensure that housing applicants are clearly informed about which documents are required, with consistent information across the allocation scheme, website, application form and any correspondence.
• The Council has agreed to consider amending its procedures to give housing applicants additional time to submit missing documents before closing their applications, to prevent unnecessary delays. If the Council continues to close applications without giving applicants an opportunity to submit any missing documents, it will amend the application form to include a clear warning about the consequences of not submitting all required evidence.

Case Ref: 24 012 111 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• The Council has agreed to review the documents required for new housing applicants and existing tenants, ensuring that applicants are not asked to provide unnecessary evidence. It will also ensure that staff training is provided to ensure that officers are aware of the different evidence requirements for each applicant type.
• The Council has agreed to review its procedures to ensure it assesses housing applications which have been made in accordance with the allocation scheme. Unless the Council changes its allocation scheme, it will not consider applications to be incomplete because a transfer applicant has not provided evidence of their eligibility.
• The Council has agreed to consider amending its procedures to give housing applicants additional time to submit missing documents before their application is closed, to prevent unnecessary delays. If it decides not to amend its procedures, it will amend the application form to include a clear warning about the consequences of not submitting all required evidence.

Case Ref: 24 010 957 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• Draw up an action plan, with timescales, setting out the action the Council will take to ensure it carries out the Education, Health and Care Plan process in accordance with the statutory timescales. This is to ensure the Council issues final Education, Health and Care Plans within the statutory timescales.
• By training or other means, remind officers of the Council’s duty to secure the special educational needs provision set out in an Education, Health and Care Plan from the date the final Plan is issued. This is to ensure the delays in delivering provision that occurred in Y’s case do not recur.

Case Ref: 24 010 085 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council agreed to review its procedures around how it considers and decides requests from parents/carers and schools for early annual reviews of Education, Health and Care Plans. The Council should consider whether it is necessary to provide guidance to schools on how they can request an early review.

Case Ref: 24 009 205 Category: Environment and regulation Sub Category: Other

• The Council will introduce a written policy and/or procedure for how it and its contractors deal with abandoned vehicles.

Case Ref: 24 007 520 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• The Council has agreed to ensure officers can record the actual reason a housing applicant has not been offered a property, and not just one from a pre-populated list.
• The Council has agreed to ensure Green Square Accord is aware that if it is considering an application from a Council nominated applicant, it must allocate the property in accordance with the nominations agreement.
• The Council has agreed to ask Green Square Accord to keep a record of all telephone contact with nominated housing applicants.
• The Council has agreed to consider improving its systems to allow better information sharing between Registered Providers and the Council.

Case Ref: 24 005 304 Category: Education Sub Category: Other

• The Council should remind staff to note children’s responses fully or keep a record about why it was not appropriate to seek further information;
• Ensure all documents on an investigation are kept together so they can be retrieved if needed;
• Remind staff to send complaint responses as set out in the Council’s policy, or if investigation takes longer, to let the complainant know.

Case Ref: 24 002 649 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Disabled facilities grants

• • Remind relevant staff of the importance of effective complaint handling.
• • Remind relevant staff of the importance of fully considering the needs of the wider family when completing OT assessments for DFG applications.
• • Provide guidance to staff about the Council’s responsibilities when completing DFG applications and works, referencing the Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) Delivery: Guidance for local authorities in England.

Case Ref: 23 020 349 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Other

• The Council failed to properly explain the outcome of its assessment of a child to the parent. The Council has agreed to develop an action plan to address the persistent confusion over the explanations it gives to parents concerning its assessment processes and how it meets a child’s eligible needs, regardless of resource or the thresholds of the children with disabilities team. The Council will share a copy of the action plan with the Ombudsman.