Service improvements

Buckinghamshire 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 13 cases with service improvements

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

  • Buckinghamshire Council (24 016 371)

    Category: Education Date: 14-Jan-2025

    Summary

    We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about the Council’s delay in arranging Speech and Language provision for her child. This is because the Council has agreed to resolve the complaint early by providing a proportionate remedy for the injustice caused.

    Service improvements

    Identify any actions the Council can take to prevent recurrence ofthe delays that arose on this case and provide us with details of these actionsand timescales for completion.

  • Buckinghamshire Council (24 012 211)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 06-Feb-2025

    Summary

    We have decided not to investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s poor communication and delay in resolving the funding for his mother, Mrs Y’s residential care. We asked the Council to remedy the injustice by making an apology and payment to Mr X and taking steps to improve its services, and it has agreed to do so.

    Service improvements

    The Council will remind relevant staff of the need to assess the impact of any proposed care home move on the resident's wellbeing before deciding whether it is appropriate for them to move to an alternative care home. It will also remind staff to make decisions about the appropriate placement and the funding implications without delay.

  • Buckinghamshire Council (24 007 591)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 11-Feb-2025

    Summary

    We upheld a complaint from Miss J finding the Council at fault for delays and poor communication leaving her son, Mr K, without care for several months. This loss of care provision had a harmful impact on Mr K, as well as causing distress to Miss J. While the Council had previously acknowledged some fault and offered a remedy to the complaint, we did not consider this went far enough to remedy both Miss J and Mr K’s injustice. So, the Council has now agreed to take further action, comprising an apology and symbolic payments for Mr K and Miss J, and a review of Mr K’s care and support plan. It has also agreed to make service improvements for others to help prevent a repeat of the fault.

    Service improvements

    The Council agreed that it would review why in this case, it had not earlier identified if the complainant had care and support needs as they approached their 25th birthday and their Education, Care and Health Plan came to an end. This would be to consider if there were any systemic communication problems between children and adult care services. Also, it would review the guidance it gives to those who complete adult care needs assessments for those transitioning between children and adult care services, to see if this needed any improvement.The Council agreed that it would deliver a briefing to staff who undertake adult care needs assessments to advise of three key findings from this investigation. First, that they should consider carefully the appropriateness of undertaking a telephone assessment with a user of services who is deaf, even if that person has support with communication needs. This was after the Council decided to reduce a package of care to the complainant who was deaf, saying it did not think their 'voice' came across in an assessment which it had decided to conduct by phone.Second, that staff would be reminded of the need to set realistic personal budgets for those whose care needs may demand a specialist skill set from those who support them. This case highlighted the complainant needed support from a personal assistant who could use British Sign Language as well as understand the complainant's other needs, which was always likely to cost more than using a personal assistant without that specialist knowledge.Third, that staff needed to keep a clear audit trail of decisions to explain their rationale when amending proposed package of care. In this case the complainant was offered several different care packages in a matter of weeks and the reasons for this were not clear. Nor had the Council recorded their response, or that of their representative, to these different offers.

  • Buckinghamshire Council (24 007 173)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 14-Mar-2025

    Summary

    Ms A complained about the way the Council dealt with her request to move her father to a different care home. We found the Council is at fault and has caused an injustice as its delay caused avoidable distress. The Council has agreed to apologise to Ms A and make service improvements to ensure the fault is not repeated.

    Service improvements

    Within three months, the Council will review the timeline of this matter, identify all avoidable delay and share its learnings with relevant staff. The importance of dealing with transfer requests efficiently, especially where there are safeguarding concerns should be emphasised.

  • Buckinghamshire Council (24 005 209)

    Category: Education Date: 18-Nov-2024

    Summary

    Mrs X complained the Council took too long to respond to her request for a change to her child, Y’s, Education, Health and Care Plan. The Council was at fault. This caused Mrs X upset and frustration and meant Y missed out on special educational provision. To remedy Mrs X’s injustice, the Council will apologise. It has already paid her £300, which is an appropriate sum. If Mrs X feels the Council’s fault impacted on Y’s development and education, she can seek additional provision as part of her ongoing appeal to the SEND Tribunal. The Council will issue a staff reminder to prevent the fault happening again.

    Service improvements

    The Council will remind staff that when they receive a request for an amendment to a child or young person's Education, Health and Care Plan, they should decide whether to hold an annual review to consider that request.

  • Buckinghamshire Council (24 001 992)

    Category: Education Date: 02-Dec-2024

    Summary

    Mrs B says the Council failed to act when she raised safeguarding concerns about her son being bullied at school and failed to put in place full-time education when he stopped attending school. There is no fault in how the Council dealt with the safeguarding concerns. The Council delayed issuing an education, health and care plan which affected Mrs B’s appeal rights about the school named and failed to put in place an added subject when Mrs B asked for it. An apology, payment to Mrs B and reminder to officers is satisfactory remedy.

    Service improvements

    The Council will remind officers dealing with EHC Plans of the need to ensure the timescales set out in the statutory guidance are followed.

  • Buckinghamshire Council (24 000 956)

    Category: Children's care services Date: 16-Oct-2024

    Summary

    Mr B complains about the Council’s refusal to consider his complaint as it found it had already been considered in a completed children’s statutory complaint process. We found the Council at fault. This is because Mr B’s new complaint relates to matters which were different, a different period of time, and if upheld, may justify further remedies.

    Service improvements

    The Council will remind its complaints handling staff to properly consider whether a new complaint is different to previous or ongoing complaints from a complainant. If there are parts which has not been addressed through the complaints process, it should investigate and respond within the timescales for the children’s statutory complaints process, or its corporate complaints process (as appropriate).

  • Buckinghamshire Council (24 000 842)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 10-Oct-2024

    Summary

    Mr X complains on behalf of his mother, Mrs Y, the Council has failed to take account of professionals’ views when deciding the best care placement for Mrs Y. As a result, he says the Council’s flawed decision making has left his mother without the care she needs. We have found fault in the Council’s decision-making process, and it has agreed to make a financial payment to Mrs X and Mr Y and make service improvements.

    Service improvements

    In writing, remind officers to consider all information available to them when reaching a decision and keep detailed decision-making notes.

  • Buckinghamshire Council (24 000 198)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 10-Dec-2024

    Summary

    Mrs Y complains the Council arranged a supported living placement for her daughter, Miss W, despite the placement being unaffordable for her. We find the Council failed to provide advice to Miss W about possible benefit entitlement before the placement started. This fault caused uncertainty because we do not know whether Miss W would have accepted the placement if she had been given enough information to make an informed decision. The Council has agreed to complete the remedial actions we have listed at the end of this statement.

    Service improvements

    The Council will also remind staff (either through a team meeting, a briefing paper or staff circular) about the preventative duty and the need to refer service users for benefit advice when necessary.

  • Buckinghamshire Council (23 018 832)

    Category: Education Date: 30-Sep-2024

    Summary

    Miss X complained the Council did not deliver a suitable education to her child. We found no fault with the Council’s actions when delivering alternative provision for Miss X’s child. We found the Council at fault for miscommunication regarding Miss Y’s child’s school placement. This caused Miss X and Y avoidable distress. We have recommended an apology, symbolic payment and service improvements to remedy Miss X’s injustice.

    Service improvements

    Review its communication methods with staff, reminding them to check and re-check information before sending it out. This should particularly focus on the period of time leading up to the issuing of an EHC Plan.Review its methods of assessing whether it owes a section 19 duty to children out of education. This should include the assessment, decision making, recording and communication to the parents.

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