Case Ref: 22 011 312 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Direct payments

• The Council will remind relevant staff that where discrepancies arise in audits of direct payments for adult social care needs, to ensure the reasons for this are clearly explained to the person.
• The Council will remind relevant staff of the importance of providing clear and transparent information to people using direct payments for their adult social care needs, to ensure people understand their responsibilities when accessing direct payments both at the point of arranging them and following any audit.

Case Ref: 22 000 449 Category: Environment and regulation Sub Category: Refuse and recycling

• TheCouncil will arrange to monitor the situation with the bins in the complainant's area withinthe limited resources available to it. Patrols will be put in place by officersfrom the relevant Council department to monitor fly-tipping and we will usethis resource as a way to monitor the situation.

Case Ref: 22 005 333 Category: Education Sub Category: Alternative provision

• The Council should have reviewed its policies and procedures for situations where it is informed a child is missing education. It should ensure that it has systems in place to take decisive action when it becomes aware a child is missing education. It should provide evidence of this review to the Ombudsman.

Case Ref: 22 003 623 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council will review the letter it sends to parents and carers advising them it will carry out an Education Health and Care assessment to ensure the letter clearly sets out the expected timescales for the Education Health and Care process, to help manage parents’ expectations around communication.

Case Ref: 22 000 530 Category: Education Sub Category: School admissions

• The Council has agreed to review its internal processes to address communication delays and ensure Panel outcome letters clearly set out evidence of decision-making with clear reasons given in feedback to parents.

Case Ref: 22 000 320 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Domiciliary care

• The Council will provide guidance to the care provider, Sage Care (Crewe), aboutthe need to be open about concerns and take reasonable steps to resolve them before ending a care contract. It will also ensure the care provider reminds staff of the need to follow its own processes, including its complaints process.

Case Ref: 22 000 018 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• the Council will remind relevant staff of the timescales for actions in mediation agreements to be completed, as set out in the Regulations.

Case Ref: 21 019 021 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Disabled facilities grants

• To ensure there is now a handover of adaptation cases so managers are aware of priority cases.
• People receiving bathroom adaptations will receive a program of works detailing the date, nature of work and people who will attend the home.
• Introduce a process so officers can discuss issues which may occur from restricted access to the bathroom and if necessary, liaise with occupational therapy and social care staff to ensure the needs are met.
• Issue a reminder to staff in the Housing Standards and Adaptations Team to prearrange appointments when wanting to visit homes.

Case Ref: 21 014 481 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council has agreed it will review with staff the Ombudsman's focus report, Out of school, out of sight and discuss with them the importance of reviewing alternative provision plans made for children out of school.

Case Ref: 21 004 831 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Other

• 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.