Service improvements

Brighton & Hove City Council

Showing service improvements between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025

Find out more about service improvements

When we find fault, we can recommend improvements to systems and processes where they haven’t worked properly, so that others do not suffer from these same problems in future. Common examples are policy changes; procedural reviews; and staff training. Service improvements from decisions are published for 5 years and those from reports are published for 10 years.

Showing 1 - 6 of 6 cases with service improvements

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Downloads the current filtered list of service improvement decisions for Brighton & Hove City Council as a CSV file.

  • Brighton & Hove City Council (23 018 882)

    Category: Education Date: 10-Oct-2024

    Summary

    Mrs D complained the Council did not complete an Education, Health and Care needs assessment for her child within legal timeframes. She also complained the Council failed to provide alternative provision support for them when they stopped attending school. We found the Council at fault for not properly considering its duties for alternative provision. The Council has agreed to our recommendations to remedy the injustice caused.

    Service improvements

    The Council should send written reminders to relevant staff of the Council’s responsibilities under Section 19 of the Education Act when it is made aware a child is not attending school. With these reminders, it should share a copy of our “Out of school, out of sight? focus report, highlighting key points to ensure officers are aware of the factors they should consider when a request for alternative provision is made.

  • Brighton & Hove City Council (23 016 795)

    Category: Benefits and tax Date: 16-Jun-2024

    Summary

    Miss X complains about the handling of her Council Tax accounts by the Council. Miss X also contends that her place of study should otherwise attract a student exemption. We have concluded our investigation having made a finding of fault. We found that the Council did not bill Miss X correctly during her occupancy of Property A and did not correct the Council Tax bill until two years later causing Miss X an injustice. We have not investigated any complaint about Council Tax liability, nor Miss X’s right to a student exemption as it is reasonable for Miss X to appeal these matters to the Valuation Tribunal. The Council has accepted our recommendations.

    Service improvements

    Explain what it will do to ensure that correct exemptions and discounts are applied at the earliest convenience.

  • Brighton & Hove City Council (23 013 772)

    Category: Housing Date: 29-Aug-2024

    Summary

    Mx Y complains the Council mishandled their homelessness application and placed them in unsuitable interim accommodation. The Ombudsman finds fault with the Council’s handling of the homelessness application. The Council has agreed to apologise to Mx Y and pay a financial remedy.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to remind staff of the guidance for closing cases due to non-engagementThe Council will remind staff of its responsibility to provide interim accommodation at the outset, and when 'homeless at home' arrangements may be suitable for an applicant and the correct process to follow, if there is reason to believe an application may be in priority need.

  • Brighton & Hove City Council (23 013 280)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 15-Aug-2024

    Summary

    Ms M complained the Council failed to address her concerns about the adult care services her son, Mr S, receives. The Council is at fault for delay reviewing Mr S’s care plan and failing to carry out a transport assessment.

    Service improvements

    The Council has committed to create a transport policy for adult social care uses and remind officers to complete annual reviews and transport assessments when needed.

  • Brighton & Hove City Council (23 011 982)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 13-Jun-2024

    Summary

    We found no fault with how a Council and NHS Trust completed a best interest decision about a discharge from hospital. We also found no fault with the time it took the Council to complete a care needs assessment. We did find there was service failure that led to a delay in arranging a care package. This prevented Mr Y from returning to his own home sooner. The Council has agreed actions we recommended to remedy the distress and the financial loss caused by the faults.

    Service improvements

    Within three months of the date of my final decision statement the Council agreed to:Review its market shaping and commissioning procedures for community adult social care providers to minimise delays in sourcing care providers. It will ensure it has processes in place to meet its duties as set out in the Care Act 2014 and associated statutory guidance.

  • Brighton & Hove City Council (23 004 931)

    Category: Education Date: 06-May-2024

    Summary

    Ms X complains the Council failed to provide alternative provision for her daughter, Y from January 2022. Ms X also complains about the way the Council implemented a personal budget. We have found there was a delay by the Council in issuing a final Education and Health Care Plan and fault with its record keeping. The Council has agreed to apologise, make a symbolic payment and service improvements to address the injustice caused. We have found no fault with the way the Council considered alternative provision and the personal budget.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to review its record keeping procedures to ensure officers keep a clear record of their decisions about whether education provision is accessible to a child out of school and whether it owes a duty under Section 19 of the Education Act 1996 to make alternative education provision.

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