Case Ref: 23 021 448 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council has agreed to provide the Ombudsman with an action plan specifically around how the Council intends to reduce annual review backlogs and a further update, two months after it has provided the action plan, on its progress with the backlog.

Case Ref: 23 021 423 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council should review its process when it receives notification that a property is unsuitable, and ensure all relevant staff are reminded of the Council’s duty to carry out a suitability review.

Case Ref: 23 016 340 Category: Environment and regulation Sub Category: Licensing

• The Council will remind its vehicle licensing officers of each applicant's right to appeal a refusal to issue or renew a private vehicle licence, and ensure that officers know this appeal right should be explained to applicants when refusing a licence.

Case Ref: 23 004 866 Category: Transport and highways Sub Category: Rights of way

• a)Take steps to introduce a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) in relation to a public footpath if its locked gates are to remain in place.b)Review other PSPOs which replaced previous gating orders and expired in October 2020 to determine if they need to be re-made.

Case Ref: 23 001 270 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Assessment and care plan

• Review its record keeping procedures to ensure officers record all key decisions relating to a person’s care needs, such as whether a person has eligible needs under the Care Act 2014 and notify the client of the decision.
• By training or other means remind officers to provide key information about care home funding in writing following conversations with clients regarding funding arrangements. This is to ensure understanding of the key issues discussed and potential financial implications.

Case Ref: 22 013 940 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• By training or other means remind staff of the importance of adhering to the Council’s complaint procedure / timescales.
• Produce an action plan to demonstrate how the Council will meet statutory timescales for EHC needs assessments and EHC Plans.

Case Ref: 22 006 023 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Residential care

• The Council agreed to remind the care provider about the importance of raising safeguarding alerts immediately and keeping a record of safeguarding referrals.

Case Ref: 22 002 239 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council agreed to review how it monitors and arranges social care assessments for disabled children to ensure it completes these in a reasonable period of time.

Case Ref: 22 001 797 Category: Benefits and tax Sub Category: Housing benefit and council tax benefit

• The Council will remind its staff they must pass housing benefit appeals to the Tribunal without undue delay; usually within four weeks. They should do this regardless of whether the Council's case is prepared.

Case Ref: 21 010 968 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council should ensure relevant staff are aware of their responsibilities when sending Education, Health and Care advice requests. Specifically, requests to NHS organisations should specifically set out what advice is needed.
• The Council should ensure it clarifies what role meetings have in its 'Complaints Policy and Procedures'.
• The Council should ensure it explains what the local arrangement for joint complaint handling is with NHS organisations in its 'Complaints Policy and Procedures'.