Service improvements

Bristol 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 - 8 of 8 cases with service improvements

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

  • Bristol City Council (22 008 123)

    Category: Education Date: 17-Mar-2023

    Summary

    Ms X complained about the Council’s failure to provide her son, Child Y, with suitable education for over a year, including support for his special educational needs. She also complained about delay and how the Council managed the case. We have found the Council to be at fault. To remedy the injustice, the Council has agreed to apologise, make a payment to Ms X and review its practices.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to reflect on the issues raised in this decision statement and identify any areas of service improvement, particularly around communication with parents and delay in the EHCP process. It should also review its policies and procedures to ensure the Council retains oversight and responsibility for its duties to children unable to attend school.The Council should prepare a short report setting out what the Council intends to do to ensure similar problems not reoccur. This report should be sent to the Ombudsman.

  • Bristol City Council (21 018 896)

    Category: Education Date: 23-Aug-2022

    Summary

    The Council’s delay completing an annual review of B’s Education, Health, and Care Plan and failure to issue an amended Plan within statutory timescales was fault. The Council was also at fault for failing to ensure the education provision in B’s Plan was in place. As a result, B started post-16 education without an up-to-date Plan and missed six months of Speech and Language Therapy. To remedy this injustice, the Council has agreed to apologise, pay £1,750, and act to improve its services.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to identify and implement a mechanism to ensure the Council checks SEN provision is in place following a phase transfer and/or issuing a new or amended EHC Plan.

  • Bristol City Council (21 017 107)

    Category: Planning Date: 30-Jun-2022

    Summary

    Miss X complains the Council incorrectly advised her to submit a non-material amendment (NMA) application for changes to existing planning permission which it then rejected, after it deemed the changes as material, incurring a £234.00 fee. There was no fault in the initial advice the case officer gave Miss X. However, there was fault with the Council’s on-line guidance which did not clearly manage an applicant’s expectations around pre-application advice. The Council agreed to carry out a review of its on-line guidance around NMA applications.

    Service improvements

    The Council agreed to review its online guidance around pre-application advice for non-material amendment planning applications so it clearly explains what information applicants should provide so the case officer can provide informed advice. The guidance should also manage an applicant's expectations that any advice is not binding.

  • Bristol City Council (21 015 811)

    Category: Education Date: 29-Aug-2022

    Summary

    the Council delayed issuing a final education, health and care plan and failed to consider providing alternative education provision when Mr B’s daughter stopped attending school. As a result Mr B’s daughter missed out on education and special educational needs provision. An apology, payment to Mr B and review of the process to manage completion of education, health and care plans is satisfactory remedy.

    Service improvements

    Within two months of my decision the Council should review its procedure to ensure there is a process in place to identify when production of an EHCP is approaching the 20 week date to ensure timescales are not breached.

  • Bristol City Council (21 013 440)

    Category: Other Categories Date: 20-Apr-2022

    Summary

    Miss X complains the Council failed to make a formal record of, or disclose, its reasons for refusing some applications for Community Infrastructure Levy and Section 106 funds. We have found fault with the Council’s actions. The Council has agreed to apologise to Miss X and make changes to its procedures to remedy the injustice caused.

    Service improvements

    The Council was at fault for not properly documenting or disclosing its decision-making when rejecting some applications for community funding. The Council has agreed to change its procedures, so its decision-making is clearly recorded and available to the public.

  • Bristol City Council (21 011 798)

    Category: Environment and regulation Date: 09-May-2022

    Summary

    Ms X complains about the way the Council dealt with her complaints of noise nuisance from a neighbouring property causing distress. We found fault in the way the Council responded to Ms X’s complaints as it failed to send her case closed letters. But this did not cause Ms X a significant injustice. There is no evidence of fault by the Council in its noise nuisance investigation and in making a decision there was no ongoing statutory nuisance. So, we are completing our investigation.

    Service improvements

    The Council should remind officers of the need to follow its noise policy and issue case closed letters when appropriate.

  • Bristol City Council (21 007 917)

    Category: Planning Date: 20-Apr-2022

    Summary

    Mr B complained that a supermarket near his house was taking deliveries outside of the hours specified by a planning condition. There was fault by the Council. It has not communicated a clear decision-making process or plan to Mr B so that he knows what action he might expect the Council to take to resolve this. Also, it took too long to serve a breach of condition notice and to decide whether to take further action. This caused Mr B injustice and the Council has agreed to take action to remedy this.

    Service improvements

    Formulate a plan as to how the Council will resolve outstanding planning enforcement matters,with expected timescales where possible so that there is no avoidable delay,and communicated this to the complainant.

  • Bristol City Council (21 000 088)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 10-May-2022

    Summary

    Ms C, who was a Shared Lives Carer, complained about the way in which the Council responded to allegations made against her. I found the Council failed to effectively communicate with Ms C and there was a delay in completing the safeguarding enquiry. The Council has agreed to apologise and pay a financial remedy for the distress this caused Ms C.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to share the lessons learned with its adult safeguarding team.

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