Service improvements

Brighton & Hove City Council

Showing service improvements between 1 April 2022 and 31 March 2023

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 - 3 of 3 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 (22 008 539)

    Category: Education Date: 20-Mar-2023

    Summary

    Dr X complained the Council applied unlawful, unpublished criteria when allocating places at oversubscribed schools. She also complained about the actions of the Independent Appeal Panel. We have found fault with the way Dr X’s application for a school place was dealt with. To remedy the injustice caused by this fault, the Council has agreed to apologise, make a payment to Dr X, review its policy and provide a copy of this decision to clerks and Panel members.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to review the use and publication of oversubscription criteria, taking account of the issues raised in this decision statement.The Council will provide all Panel clerks and Panel members with a copy of this decision statement.

  • Brighton & Hove City Council (22 005 271)

    Category: Education Date: 02-Feb-2023

    Summary

    Ms X complains that the independent appeal panel which heard her appeal for a school place for her son did not consider the appeal properly. We find that there was fault in the recording of the panel’s decision-making, rather than in how it reached its decision. The Council has agreed to remind panel chairs and clerks about the need to make a clear record of the panel’s deliberations especially when dealing with multiple appeals.

    Service improvements

    The Council agreed to remind chairs and clerks of independent admission appeal panels of the importance of keeping clear notes of the panel’s decision-making, especially when dealing with multiple appeals.

  • Brighton & Hove City Council (21 004 649)

    Category: Education Date: 27-Oct-2022

    Summary

    Mr X complains about the Council’s handling of admission to secondary school for his child, Y. The Council is at fault as it cannot demonstrate it properly applied its admissions criteria to Mr X’s application for his child. The Council delayed in providing the questions and answers for the appeal panel hearing and did not provide sufficient in the appeal panel’s decision letter for Mr X to understand why his appeal was refused. But these faults did not cause significant injustice to Mr X. The Council delayed in responding to Mr X’s Freedom of Information request and complaint which caused avoidable time and trouble to him which the Council has agreed to remedy.

    Service improvements

    Ensure it can provide evidence to show the ranking of pupils who are not offered a place at the school in comparison to the pupils who are offered a place after each round of allocation and re-randomisation of the waiting lists. This is to ensure the allocations process is transparent. The Council should also ensure it provides this information to appeal panels to enable them to make an informed decision on whether the admissions arrangements have been properly applied.

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