Case Ref: 22 017 137 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Charging

• In this case a hospital referred an elderly patient to the Council to consider what support he might need when he left hospital. We found the Council closed its case too soon, without having suitable discussions with the family about the available options and the financial implications of each. The Council agreed it would share the learning from this case with all of its staff that are involved in hospital discharge planning.

Case Ref: 23 006 153 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Residential care

• The Council failed to investigate a complaint about the level of care being provided by a care home. The Council will discuss this with the monitoring team and establish what action is required to address the failings by the care home and will follow this up with monitoring visits.
• The Council will consider lessons learned in respect of complaint investigation.

Case Ref: 23 003 205 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• By training or other means, remind officers that they should review the homelessness duty owed in the event of a change of circumstances to decide if an applicant has become homeless and the Council owes a different duty.
• Review its procedures to ensure officers consider identifying and offering interim or temporary accommodation to applicants with pets that can accommodate their pet. This is to ensure the Council complies with paragraph 17.67 of the Homelessness Code of Guidance.

Case Ref: 23 001 344 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Charging

• The Council agreed to brief relevant social care staff on the importance of taking account of information provided by third parties when assessing a client's social care needs and showing it has done so. For example, information that might be provided by a relative or a care agency supporting the client.

Case Ref: 23 001 178 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Fostering

• The Council has agreed to reflect on the issues raised in this decision statement and identify any areas of service improvement in complaint handling, particularly around making appropriate enquiries where there is a conflict of evidence. The Council should prepare a short report setting out what the Council intends to do to ensure similar problems do not reoccur. This report should be sent to the Ombudsman.

Case Ref: 22 017 101 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Safeguarding

• When the Council investigated this complaint it accepted there had been failings and said it had given feedback to staff with the intention of improving performance and preventing recurrences. The Council should complete proportionate work to check whether there have been improvements in these areas.

Case Ref: 22 016 722 Category: Planning Sub Category: Building control

• We found fault in that the Council did not have evidence to show it tested a drain connection or keep proper records of its Building Regulations inspection. The Council agreed to review practices and procedures and use of document management systems to avoid recurrence of the fault.The Council agreed to report the findings of its review to the Ombudsman and the relevant scrutiny committee.

Case Ref: 22 016 662 Category: Planning Sub Category: Building control

• We found fault in that the Council did not have evidence to show it tested a drain connection or keep proper records of its Building Regulations inspection.The Council agreed to review practices and procedures and use of document managemsnt systems to avoid recurrence of the fault.The Council agreed to report the findings of its review to the Ombudsman and the relevant scrutiny committee.

Case Ref: 22 015 018 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Other

• The Council will undertaken a review of its complaints service and provide us with an update of the agreed changes.

Case Ref: 22 014 370 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Other

• Share this decision with relevant staff. Remind staff that eligible complaints should be dealt with in accordance with the Getting the Best from Complaints’ Guidance, and that the Council is obliged to ensure that complaints proceed to stages two and three if the complainant wishes to do so.