Case Ref: 23 006 386 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Assessment and care plan

• The Council has agreed to identify the action it is going to take to ensure future assessments of Ms Y’s capacity meet the requirements it has agreed are necessary.

Case Ref: 22 017 307 Category: Education Sub Category: School transport

• The Council has agreed to explain to the Ombudsman what it will do to ensure sufficient processes are in place to reduce the risk of provision specified in children's Education, Health and Care Plans not being delivered.

Case Ref: 22 017 284 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Friends and family carers

• By training or other means remind staff of the importance of adhering to statutory Special Guardianship legislation and guidance. Ensure the Council issues notices of its decisions to special guardians in a timely manner and allow them the opportunity to make representations, if they wish to do so.
• Ensure the Council keeps robust records and evidence of how it considers and makes decisions about special guardians’ requests.
• By training or other means remind staff of the importance of following the Council’s complaints procedure, identifying and understanding issues raised in service users’ complaints. This is to ensure the issues raised are investigated appropriately in line with its complaints procedure and in a timely manner regardless of the channel the complaints are made. For example, complaints made via MP enquiries.

Case Ref: 22 016 374 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Child protection

• The Council agreed to brief all relevant staff who assess or triage child safeguarding referrals on the importance of keeping written records of all communications with parents or professionals sharing information and of the importance of professional reflection if new evidence comes to light that indicates a change in the child's circumstances following an earlier decision.

Case Ref: 22 011 325 Category: Education Sub Category: Alternative provision

• The Council will review its policies and procedures concerning alternative education for children not attending school to ensure they comply with relevant legislation and government guidance.

Case Ref: 22 001 538 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Residential care

• The Council has agreed to work with the care home to review the way in which it records and investigates incidents and if/when it refers incidents to the Council’s safeguarding team, identifying any training needs along the way if needed.
• The Council has agreed to share the lessons learned in the decision with the care home and the Council’s adult social care staff.

Case Ref: 21 011 449 Category: Other Categories Sub Category: Other

• The Council will monitor Change Grow Live's complaint handling so that performance meetings include: a standard agenda item to include an overview of each complaint; a change to the contract to specify the Council receives copies of any complaints that go beyond stage one and copies of final complaint reports and correspondence; a requirement that Change Grow Live provides evidence of how they are going to ensure learning from complaints is put into practice; a requirement that Change Grow Live provides the complainant with the Council's complaints team's contact details at each stage of its complaints process.
• The Council will ensure Change Grow Live updates its complaints procedure to signpost the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman and it will ensure all Change Grow Live's complaint responses inform the complainant of their right to contact us, providing our contact details.
• The Council will ensure Change Grow Live's benzodiazepine policy is amended to reflect exceptional maintenance prescriptions.
• The Council will ensure Change Grow Live audits all patients taking benzodiazepines to ensure their programme is appropriate and in line with prescribing policy

Case Ref: 21 010 953 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council has agreed to:•by training or other means remind staff of the importance of carrying out and completing Education, Health and Care Plan annual reviews in a timely manner in line with statutory guidelines.

Case Ref: 21 010 583 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Other

• The Council has agreed to share the lessons learned with its adult social care and finace staff.

Case Ref: 21 008 061 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Child protection

• The Council will remind its staff they have to share the reports it produces in advance of child protection conferences with parents at least two working days before the conferences.