Case Ref: 20 006 835 Category: Environment and regulation Sub Category: Antisocial behaviour

• Remind relevant staff to be careful of the language they use in case recording and correspondence. The Council should be clear on where something is fact and where it is officer opinion based on evidence.

Case Ref: 20 006 019 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Disabled facilities grants

• The Council reviewed its current Accessible Homes policy to introduce aspirational timescales for carrying out occupational therapy assessments and for works agreed after having ‘registered' those works as agreed in principle;
• The Council has introduced a procedure for keeping in regular contact with all those awaiting occupational therapy assessments for possible housing adaptations; this will be at least at two-monthly intervals; it will also consider introducing a numbering system so that all clients of the service know where their place is in the queue.
• To Council has produced a comprehensive action plan that has reviewed outstanding case numbers and times taken to assess cases. This is to be kept under review until these have reduced significantly against measurable targets. Officers have briefed Cabinet on these measures.

Case Ref: 20 004 874 Category: Environment and regulation Sub Category: Noise

• The Council reviews its policy to confirm how the Noise App will be used in future investigations.

Case Ref: 20 002 795 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• By training or other means, remind officers of the provisions set out in the Housing Act 1996 and Homelessness Code of Guidance, in particular the low threshold, when deciding if the Council has a duty to offer interim accommodation.

Case Ref: 20 002 712 Category: Planning Sub Category: Planning applications

• The Council has agreed to complete its review of its processes relating to publicising planning applications and considering the impact development will have on neighbouring properties. It should share its findings with the Ombudsman, with any changes it makes to work practices and policy.

Case Ref: 20 003 080 Category: Environment and regulation Sub Category: Refuse and recycling

• Remind staff handling complaints about recurring missed collections that they should establish the underlying cause, identify appropriate remedial actions, communicate these to complainants and ensure issues are resolved before closing complaints. This should include staff at the Council and Bristol Waste Company.
• Remind Council staff handling complaints of its responsibly to consider complaints where someone is dissatisfied with the response of a commissioned service provider, as stated in section 9 of its Complaints and Compliments Policy.

Case Ref: 20 003 011 Category: Benefits and tax Sub Category: COVID-19

• The Council has agreed that in future, when writing any schemes that provide for grants for businesses impacted by COVID-19, that it will ensure applicants are given a right of review or appeal if they disagree with a decision.

Case Ref: 19 012 826 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• The Council should review its published housing allocation scheme and amend it to ensure any qualifying criteria are included.

Case Ref: 19 010 220 Category: Planning Sub Category: Enforcement

• Review its procedures to ensure that proper contemporaneous case records are kept for planning enforcement complaints. These should show the actions the council took in response to an enforcement report, what decisions were taken and why. It should also ensure that complainants are updated periodically.