Case Ref: 23 000 854 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Other

• Issue written reminders to staff to ensure they are aware of the care and support statutory guidance which states • assessment should be carried out over an appropriate and reasonable timescale taking into account the urgency of needs and a consideration of any fluctuation in those needs. Councils should inform the individual of an indicative timescale overwhich their assessment will be conducted and keep the person informed throughout the assessment process; and • In addition to monitoring direct payments generally to ensure they are being used to meet care and support needs, the Regulations set out that local authorities must also review the making of the direct payment within the first six months of making the first payment.

Case Ref: 22 017 341 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council will provide training and updated guidance to staff about the Dudley test to be applied for considering eligibility for school transport when a child has an Education, Health and Care plan.
• The Council will check its information for parents references the Dudley test to be applied for considering eligibility for school transport when a child has an Education, Health and Care plan and parents are signposted to accurate information about transport at the time they need to express a preference for a particular school.
• The Council will review whether other families were potentially affected by the fault in this case and if so, offer a remedy.

Case Ref: 22 014 194 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council will arrange a staff training session or a briefing paper for officers dealing with personal budget requests involving managed accounts to fund packages of EOTAS (Education other than at school). The purpose is to ensure that officers are equipped with the knowledge required to set up personal budgets without unnecessary delay.

Case Ref: 22 013 084 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council has agreed to provide evidence of the changes it said it made to how it procures hydrotherapy and physiotherapy services, so that service users can access these more promptly when needed.
• The Council lacked a clear understanding of the procedure at the relevant NHS team with regards to assessing physiotherapy needs. The Council has agreed to demonstrate that it has improved its understanding with the NHS team involved with regards to the procedures around assessments for adults with Education Health Care Plans, in particular during key transfers and transition years.

Case Ref: 22 012 922 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• The Council agreed to review procedures to ensure officers give early advice about the need for applicants to provide supporting evidence for claims about household’s needs.
• The Council agreed to review procedures to ensure household needs are recorded on file so the information is accessible and visible to any other officer dealing with the case.
• The Council agreed to review how it assesses an applicant’s needs when providing temporary accommodation.The Council agreed to provide a copy of the banding reduction review outcome when completed.The Council agreed to review why it took five months to move the complainant after deciding the accommodation provided was unsuitable.
• The Council agreed to review procedures to ensure officers advise homeless applicants who already have secure accommodation about the implications this might have on rent and council tax.The Council agreed to ensure officers have clear guidance about providing consistent advice about whether to surrender a tenancy where a family has fled violence.
• The Council agreed to consider what action it can take to ensure the cause of delay under stage 2 of the complaints process is not repeated in future.

Case Ref: 22 009 442 Category: Benefits and tax Sub Category: Council tax

• The Council has agreed to, by training or other means, remind staff of the importance of allocating and dealing with claimants’ applications in a timely manner.
• •review and ensure the Council’s correspondence to claimants is clear and not contradictory. For example, clearly communicate with claimants that the Council does not produce/issue revised bills and/or statements for council tax accounts that are in credit.

Case Ref: 22 008 058 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Other

• The Council will provide evidence the Care Provider has completed the service improvements identified in its Stage Two response.

Case Ref: 22 008 123 Category: Education Sub Category: Alternative provision

• 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.

Case Ref: 21 018 896 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• 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.

Case Ref: 21 017 107 Category: Planning Sub Category: Planning applications

• 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.