Service improvements

Bristol City Council

Showing service improvements between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026

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 - 6 of 6 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 (25 002 921)

    Category: Education Date: 04-Jul-2025

    Summary

    Miss X complains the Council has delayed implementing the recommendations of a previous Ombudsman’s investigation. The Council delayed implementing recommendations of a previous Ombudsman investigation. Miss X suffered delay and uncertainty. The Council says it will pay Miss X a further £250, provide guidance to staff and review its processes. This is an appropriate remedy.

    Service improvements

    Provide guidance to staff and review its processes for acknowledging and implementing remedies agreed with the Ombudsman.

  • Bristol City Council (24 023 264)

    Category: Housing Date: 29-Sep-2025

    Summary

    The Council offered Miss B unsuitable accommodation and did not fully take into account her disability, nor act quickly enough when she did not feel safe at her interim accommodation. This meant that Miss B spent time in inaccessible accommodation, and was left distressed, uncertain, and frustrated. The Council will apologise to Miss B, make a payment to her, and review how it records information about accessible interim accommodation.

    Service improvements

    The Council will within three months of the date of this decision review how it records information about accessibility of interim accommodation so that it does not offer unsuitable accommodation twice to an applicant.

  • Bristol City Council (24 021 347)

    Category: Benefits and tax Date: 14-Jan-2026

    Summary

    Ms X complained the Council delayed considering her application for council tax reduction. She also complained about the Council’s complaint handling. Mrs X said this distressed her and she may be paying more for her council tax. Based on current evidence we are minded to find there was fault in the way the Council did not communicate the decision, and its complaint handling was poor. This frustrated Ms X, and she was put to time and trouble to complain. The Council agreed to apologise, make a financial payment and issue guidance to its staff.

    Service improvements

    •Remind relevant staff to effectively communicate decisions in a timely manner.•Remind relevant staff of the importance of effective complaint handling and adhering to timescales.

  • Bristol City Council (24 015 611)

    Category: Education Date: 03-Sep-2025

    Summary

    Ms X complained that the Council did not put in place all the special educational provision in her child’s Education, Health and Care Plan. We have found the Council was at fault for delaying putting in place the special educational provision. This meant Ms X’s child has not received the support they should have. To remedy the injustice caused the Council agreed to apologise, make a payment to Ms X and carry out a service improvement.

    Service improvements

    Consider why there were delays putting in place some of the provision in the Education, Health and Care Plan and what changes it can make to prevent this from happening in future. The Council should report back to the Ombudsman with any improvements it intends to make.

  • Bristol City Council (24 007 483)

    Category: Planning Date: 13-Aug-2025

    Summary

    Mr B complained about the process followed by the Council when it gave planning permission for a house behind a listed terrace where he lives. We upheld the complaint, finding the Council’s planning committee did not follow its published procedure after it initially refused to support the planning application. We also found the Council at fault for delay in answering Mr B’s complaint. We considered these faults caused injustice, although we could not say the outcome of the planning application would have been different. The Council has accepted these findings and at the end of this statement, we set out the action it has agreed to remedy that injustice and to avoid a repeat.

    Service improvements

    The Council agreed to issue a reminder to the Chairs and Members of its planning committees on its existing procedure, where Members voted to reject a planning application against officer's advice. The procedure required the Chair to ask Members of committee to defer the application to the next meeting. The Council was in the process of reviewing the procedure and this may change. But in the meantime it agreed that if Members were to depart from this procedure they would record reasons for that departure.

  • Bristol City Council (24 002 666)

    Category: Education Date: 30-Jun-2025

    Summary

    Miss Y complained that delays in the Education, Health and Care (EHC) assessment and planning process meant that her son did not receive the education he was entitled to. The delays were, in part, caused by a shortage of Educational Psychologists. The Council has agreed to pay £400 to Miss Y in recognition of the delay and a further £900 for D’s benefit. The Council will also arrange the proposed catch-up provision and explain the steps it is taking to improve the timeliness of EHC needs assessments.

    Service improvements

    The Council will provide evidence to the Ombudsman of the service improvements it is making to improve the timeliness of EHC needs assessments. This could include an update regarding the recruitment of Educational Psychologists and SEND staff, any improvements to internal processes or departmental changes.

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