Case Ref: 21 000 034 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: COVID-19

• The Council agreed that further to this complaint it would amend its contract with care providers to request they provide quarterly complaints monitoring reports. This is so the Council has more awareness of complaints being made by users of services that it funds and so that it can better monitor complaint outcomes.

Case Ref: 21 012 628 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council has agreed to remind staff, through appropriate training, of the Council's non-delegable duty to secure the Special Educational Needs provision set out in Section F of a child's Education, Health and Care Plan (EHC Plan).

Case Ref: 21 012 021 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Other

• 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.

Case Ref: 21 001 585 Category: Environment and regulation Sub Category: Drainage

• By 8 February 2022, the Council has agreed to provide evidence that it has: •Created a dedicated adverse weather webpage that acts as a central hub where customers can get advice, information and support before, during and after periods of adverse weather. •Produce written guidance for staff working on the adverse weather desk to support them with signposting customers to appropriate resources. This will enable them to provide consistent and accurate response to enquiries.

Case Ref: 20 014 516 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• the Council has also agreed to make the following service improvement: remind relevant staff members about the specific statutory timeframes for completing the annual review process, including when the Council intends to amend an EHC Plan ;
• the Council has also agreed to make the following service improvement: develop a procedure to ensure that, where it appears a child or young person is not receiving the provision set out in their EHC Plan, robust action is taken without delay.
• the Council has also agreed to make the following service improvement: review its complaints handling process to ensure clear information is given to staff on assessing injustice when fault is found and awarding appropriate remedies for this. The Council should consider including a reference to the Ombudsman’s published guidance on remedies in the guidance.
• the Council has also agreed to make the following service improvement: share this decision with relevant staff.

Case Ref: 20 013 619 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council will ensure it considers with parents what advice to get for an Educational, Heath and Care needs assessment and in particular consider any requests for advice made by parents.
• The Council will ensure advice given about Educational, Health and Care needs assessments, elective home education and Education otherwise than at School accurately reflects law and statutory guidance.
• The Council will ensure when a parent withdraws a decision to home educate that they are appropriately signposted to officers responsible for school admissions or education otherwise than at school.

Case Ref: 20 012 023 Category: Education Sub Category: COVID-19

• The Council will remind staff dealing with complaints the timescale for completing a stage two investigation begins once a complainant requests it in writing.
• The Council will review its systems for monitoring compliance with recommendations from stage two investigations and stage three review panels to ensure these are completed in a timely way.

Case Ref: 20 009 764 Category: Education Sub Category: COVID-19

• The Council agreed to provide evidence of the work it has carried out with the relevant part of the NHS and a school to prevent delays when sourcing and providing speech and language therapy.

Case Ref: 20 008 527 Category: Education Sub Category: COVID-19

• The Council will issue a reminder to staff about the timescales for issuing an amended final plan following a decision from the SEND tribunal.

Case Ref: 20 005 989 Category: Environment and regulation Sub Category: Noise

• The Council agreed to review its practices to ensure: the environmental protection team will make objections to future temporary events notices from the venue where appropriate; proper checks are made about the relevant party to be named on the Noise Abatement Notice; officers act on accepted breaches of licence and progress them without delay; ensure reports received by the environmental protection team are acknowledged and actioned.