Service improvements

Cheshire East Council

Showing service improvements between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2027

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 - 7 of 7 cases with service improvements

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

  • Cheshire East Council (25 000 499)

    Category: Children's care services Date: 14-Apr-2026

    Summary

    Ms X complained about the Council’s handling of allegations made against her and the conduct of its safeguarding procedures. We have not found the Council at fault for its conduct or communication during its initial visit to Ms X’s home, or in how it accounted for the information received in its decision-making. We have found the Council at fault for not appropriately providing Ms X with a copy of its assessment and for delay in issuing its closure letter. We believe this caused Ms X avoidable distress and uncertainty. We found the Council at fault for not making clear Ms X could have been accompanied during an interview. For the reasons set out in the decision, we do not believe this caused a significant injustice. The Council has agreed to apologise to Ms X and pay a symbolic financial remedy to recognise the avoidable distress caused. The Council also agreed to remind staff that individuals can be accompanied in interviews where appropriate.

    Service improvements

    The Council will remind its officers that statutory guidance confirms individuals can be accompanied by others during interviews by social workers as part of protection proceedsings, where appropriate, and that individuals should be advised of this right ahead of interviews taking place.

  • Cheshire East Council (25 002 457)

    Category: Children's care services Date: 13-Aug-2025

    Summary

    We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint the Council failed to consider his complaint under the statutory children’s complaints procedure. This is because the Council agreed to resolve the complaint early by providing a proportionate remedy for the injustice caused.

    Service improvements

    Remind relevant staff of the types of complaints that should be considered under the statutory procedure (section 2.2 of the statutory guidance 'Getting the best from complaints' details this)

  • Cheshire East Council (24 017 188)

    Category: Children's care services Date: 08-Jul-2025

    Summary

    The Council was not at fault for the way it responded to Mrs X’s reports of a safeguarding risk to her children. It took short-term action to reduce the risk and then carried out an assessment to put long-term support in place for Mrs X’s family. The Council failed to follow its complaint procedure, causing Mrs X uncertainty and frustration. The Council has agreed to apologise and take steps to ensure it follows its complaint procedure in future.

    Service improvements

    The Council failed to follow its complaint procedure. The Council has agreed to review why this happened and take steps to ensure staff follow the procedure in future.

  • Cheshire East Council (24 016 531)

    Category: Children's care services Date: 10-Jul-2025

    Summary

    Miss X complained the Council’s children’s services department did not effectively communicate with her when her child was placed into voluntary care arranged by the Council. We found fault because the Council failed to consider her complaint under the children’s statutory complaints procedure. This caused Miss X avoidable distress and frustration. To remedy the injustice caused, the Council has agreed to consider Miss X’s concerns through the statutory procedure and apologise for failing to do this originally. It has also agreed to make a payment to her and issue guidance to staff.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to remind relevant complaint handling staff of the guidance linked to the children's statutory complaints procedure (The Children Act 1989) 'Getting the Best from Complaints' particularly around 'who may complain' and 'what may be complained about'. This will help to ensure Council staff are fully aware of the statutory procedure and how this differs from its corporate complaints process.The Council has agreed to share the Ombudsman's good practice guidance on the children's statutory complaints procedure (The Children Act 1989) with relevant staff. This will help to ensure staff understand when the statutory procedure should be used to handle children's services complaints, rather than the corporate complaint process.

  • Cheshire East Council (24 006 928)

    Category: Children's care services Date: 06-Mar-2025

    Summary

    Mrs X complained the Council failed to provide a personal assistant to support her disabled child between February-November 2024. She also complained the Council refused her request for residential respite care. The Council was at fault for failing to provide a personal assistant for a period of nine months. However, the Council assessed Mrs X’s request for residential care in line with the relevant law and guidance without fault. The Council has agreed to apologise and make a payment to Mrs X to recognise the distress, frustration and uncertainty caused by the lack of support that was in place for her child between February-November 2024.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to create an action plan explaining how the Council is intending to increase its pool of personal assistants to help families in need.

  • Cheshire East Council (21 004 831)

    Category: Children's care services Date: 14-Dec-2022

    Summary

    Mr B complained about the actions of the Council in responding to his complaint about children’s services. We found some fault including a failure to appoint an advocate to assist Mr B with his complaint, failing to implement agreed reasonable adjustments for him and a failure to provide a personal remedy to Mr B and C to recognise the impact of the fault on them as part of the complaints process. The Council has agreed to pay £550 to Mr B, including £250 for the benefit of his daughter C, and to improve its procedures for the future.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to: • work with Mr B’s advocate to consider what steps it could take to improve its response to disabled (particularly neurodivergent) parents interacting withboth children’s services and the complaints process; and • review its guidance for complaints staff in when and how to appoint advocates for complainants.

  • Cheshire East Council (21 012 021)

    Category: Children's care services Date: 19-Jan-2022

    Summary

    Miss X complained the Council wrongly refused to allow her to escalate her complaints to stage 2 of the children’s statutory complaints procedures. The Council was at fault when it refused to go to stage 2 of the procedures. This caused Miss X avoidable frustration and time and trouble coming to the Ombudsman. It has agreed to apologise, pay Miss X £100 and move without further delay to stage 2. It has also agreed to carry out service improvements.

    Service improvements

    The Council agreed to remind relevant staff of its legal obligations under the statutory children’s complaints procedures, in particular its obligations to carry out a stage two investigation and the limited circumstances in which early referrals to the Ombudsman can be requested.

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