Service improvements

Bristol 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 - 10 of 20 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 (24 014 400)

    Category: Benefits and tax Date: 10-Mar-2025

    Summary

    Mr X complained that the Council incorrectly informed him that he did not need to pay council tax as his property was listed as HMO. Mr X was later informed he was liable for council tax from September 2023. We have concluded our investigation with a finding of fault. The Council acknowledges it provided Mr X with incorrect information and has proposed a suitable remedy.

    Service improvements

    Improve internal guidance or undertake staff training to ensure accurate and consistent advice on council tax liabilities, particularly in relation to HMOs and exemptions.

  • Bristol City Council (24 012 966)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 21-Mar-2025

    Summary

    Ms C complained the Council failed to provide residential services to her mother, Mrs D, while it carried out adaptations to her bathroom. The Council was at fault for failing to properly consider a change in Mrs D’s needs. This resulted in Mrs D privately paying for nursing care. To remedy the complaint the Council has agreed to apologise to Mrs D and Ms C, repay nursing care fees, and make service improvements.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to: by team meetings, staff circulars, or training, remind staff about when to carry out social care reviews and that duties under the Care Act 2014 are ongoing even if other Council departments are involved,remind relevant housing and social care staff to work together when there are adaptations so people’s needs are met when completing adaptation work;review the Council’s process/policy to ensure it includes a specific step to consider how people’s care needs are to be met when there is adaptation work.

  • Bristol City Council (24 007 625)

    Category: Environment and regulation Date: 03-Mar-2025

    Summary

    We have completed our investigation. The Council was at fault. It failed repeatedly to provide an assisted collection refuse service to Mrs X. The Council has agreed to apologise to Mrs X and make a symbolic payment to her. It will monitor Mrs X’s collections to make sure the issues are resolved and carry out an internal review.

    Service improvements

    Carry out a review of the issues Mrs X has had with her assisted collections, (to cover at least the last 12 weeks) and determine the cause of the issues.Work with provider B to review its waste collection monitoring arrangements to ensure they are robust and effective in identifying and resolving any problems and in improving service levels.Ensure the review and associated action plan, is considered monthly at the contract meetings between provider B and the Council. Ensure this takes place over the next 12 months to enable a meaningful period of monitoring.

  • Bristol City Council (24 005 216)

    Category: Housing Date: 17-Feb-2025

    Summary

    Mr B says the Council misled him about whether it had agreed to provide him with a direct offer, failed to respond to his emails and failed to give him sufficient priority on the Council’s housing register. The Council’s communications with Mr B about whether it had included him on the direct offers list were unclear, the Council delayed considering whether Mr B had exceptional circumstances to warrant a direct offer and in awarding him additional priority. That caused Mr B frustration and left him with some uncertainty about whether his situation could have been resolved earlier. An apology, payment to Mr B and reminder to officers is satisfactory remedy.

    Service improvements

    The Council will send a reminder to officers about the need to consider whether a housing applicant has exceptional circumstances which warrant inclusion on the direct offer list and to ensure decisions about that are communicated to the housing applicant.

  • Bristol City Council (24 004 803)

    Category: Education Date: 27-Mar-2025

    Summary

    Mr X complained the Council failed to ensure his child’s nursery provided funded childcare hours free of charge and said the provider instead applied mandatory top-up fees. Because of this, Mr X said that over five months, he was charged £1,173 more than he should have been for childcare hours that should have been free. The Council delayed carrying out an audit into the nursery and this was fault. However it took appropriate action by auditing the provider and instructing it to make changes. The provider still has not made the required changes but this is not due to lack of action by the Council. The Council has agreed to take further steps to bring the childcare provider into compliance.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to demonstrate to the Ombudsman that senior management have taken over the work between the childcare provider and the Council with regards to the nursery's compliance with law and guidance in how it charges parents for funded nursery hours.The Council has agreed to show the Ombudsman what action it has taken to prevent residents using the nursery being charged additional fees on top of childcare hours that should be free. This consideration might include removing the provider from the scheme for funded nursery hours.

  • Bristol City Council (24 004 556)

    Category: Education Date: 21-Nov-2024

    Summary

    Miss X complained the Council failed to secure the special educational needs provision in her child D’s Education, Health, and Care plan. The Council was at fault because it failed to secure the provision in the Plan, which caused D to miss special educational needs provision. It also caused avoidable distress to Miss X. The Council agreed to apologise and pay a financial remedy. It will also review what happened in this case and produce an action plan to prevent similar issues in future.

    Service improvements

    The Council failed to arrange the Occupational Therapy provision in the final Education, Health, and Care Plan for a full year. It agreed to review what happened in this case and produce an action plan, with dates, of steps it needs to take to prevent similar issues in future. As part of this review, it will specifically consider:if there were avoidable delays in searching for an Occupational Therapy provider which should be addressed by changes to administrative processes, or staff training; andif there are steps it should take to address any issues with Occupational Therapy capacity in its area.

  • Bristol City Council (24 003 802)

    Category: Education Date: 11-Feb-2025

    Summary

    The Council took too long to issue an Education Health and Care (EHC) Plan for Ms B’s child. It did not communicate with her properly during this time, nor respond adequately to her complaints. The Council did not do enough to satisfy itself that the provision was being made when Ms B raised concerns. This caused Ms B distress and frustration and it is likely that her child missed out on provision she was entitled to. The Council has agreed to apologise to Ms B and pay her symbolics payment in respect of the distress its failings caused her, and in respect of her child’s missed educational provision; and remind staff to deal with concerns that provision is not being made.

    Service improvements

    The Council will share this decision with staff, and remind relevant staff to be alert to concerns that an EHC Plan is not fully implemented, so the Council can be certain it is meeting its duty to make sure the provision is made.

  • Bristol City Council (24 002 934)

    Category: Housing Date: 17-Dec-2024

    Summary

    Ms X complained about the way the Council ended her temporary accommodation and that her belongings were disposed of. Ms X said she has lost most of her personal belongings. We found the Council at fault for how it ended Ms X’s temporary accommodation and for how it responded to her requests for help with her belongings. The Council agreed to apologise to Ms X make a payment to her to recognise the avoidable distress and anxiety she experienced and carry out service improvements.

    Service improvements

    Provide guidance to staff about who or what team they need to contact to arrange for the storage of a person’s possessions.Develop a policy or guidance for staff setting out the correct way interim and temporary accommodation should be ended. The Council should ensure it sets out:a.The correct notice a person should receive depending on the type of accommodation they occupy. b.Whether there is a need to apply to court for possession and eviction. c.How those who have stayed in the same accommodation after the main housing duty has been accepted should be treated.

  • Bristol City Council (24 002 809)

    Category: Education Date: 06-Mar-2025

    Summary

    Mrs X complains the Council has not made alternative education provision for her son. The Council is at fault because it did not properly consider whether it should make alternative education provision. Mrs X suffered avoidable distress and Y missed educational provision. The Council should apologise, pay Mrs X £4,500 and provide guidance to staff.

    Service improvements

    Provide guidance to staff to consider any action required under the Council’s statutory duties when it becomes aware of non-attendance at schools, and to record all actions, communication and decision making as part of this consideration.

  • Bristol City Council (24 002 303)

    Category: Housing Date: 13-Jan-2025

    Summary

    The Council was at fault in its handling of Miss X's homelessness. The Council's delay finding accommodation when Miss X had to leave her private tenancy and when a review found her temporary accommodation was unsuitable was the result of service failure and despite the Council's efforts. The Council's failure to properly assess the needs of Miss X's Disabled child, its poor communication and complaint handling were fault. The Council has agreed to apologise and make payments to Miss X in recognition of the injustice caused and act to improve its services.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to share a copy of this decision with staff in the relevant departments to share the learning and the good practice highlighted by this case.The Council has agreed to identify and implement a process to enable the Council to pick up and deal with time-sensitive cases when an officer is off sick or on leave.The Council has agreed to remind staff responsible for responding to complaints that they should keep complainants informed of any delays and provide a new, realistic, deadline response for a response.The Council has agreed to remind staff responsible for responding to complaints that where the Council upholds the complaint, it should consider what it needs to do to remedy the injustice caused to the complainant.

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