Service improvements

City of York Council

Showing service improvements between 1 April 2018 and 31 March 2026

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 - 10 of 18 cases with service improvements

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  • City of York Council (25 015 599)

    Category: Planning Date: 23-Mar-2026

    Summary

    We have upheld Mrs X’s complaint about the Council’s handling of a planning breach. The Council has agreed to a suitable remedy.

    Service improvements

    3. Within one month, the Council will ensure there is a process in place for caseloads to be reviewed when a member of staff is away from work for an extended period.

  • City of York Council (24 001 411)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 26-Jun-2025

    Summary

    We do not uphold G’s complaint about City of York Council and NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board’s decision to reduce their section 117 aftercare in December 2023. However, the Council and ICB should have reviewed G’s aftercare need before they left hospital in March 2024. That caused them distress, and the organisations should jointly apologise for that.

    Service improvements

    The Council should ensure relevant staff are aware of their responsibilities to assess someone's section 117 aftercare needs in line with Section 33 and 24.10 of the Mental Health Act: Code of Practice.

  • City of York Council (23 013 454)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 26-Jun-2024

    Summary

    The complainant (Mr X) said the Council had failed to update his wife’s (Mrs X) direct payments with the inflationary increase from April 2023. We found fault with the Council’s lack of action as well as with the inadequate communication with Mr X and its failure to respond to his complaint. The Council’s fault caused Mr X frustration. He spent much time contacting the Council and other organisations. The Council agreed to apologise and make symbolic payments to recognise Mr X’s distress and his time and trouble. The Council also agreed to carry out some service improvements.

    Service improvements

    The Council will remind its Adult Social Care staff of the importance of timely communication with the service users and of taking their individual circumstances into account.The Council will review its complaint handling for the Adult Social Care complaints to ensure they are properly recorded and responded to in accordance with the Council's policy.

  • City of York Council (23 011 019)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 17-Jun-2024

    Summary

    Mr B complained about the care provided by a care agency, the Council’s and the agency’s communications with him and the agency’s records. We have not found fault with the care provided by the agency or the Council’s and the agency’s communication with Mr B. However, there was some fault in the agency’s record keeping. The Council has agreed to apologise and to remind the agency of the importance of good record keeping.

    Service improvements

    Remind the Agency of the importance of good record keeping.

  • City of York Council (23 011 530)

    Category: Environment and regulation Date: 05-Mar-2024

    Summary

    Miss X complained the Council repeatedly failed to collect her household waste as part of its assisted collection service. Miss X says the Council’s actions have caused her avoidable stress and frustration. We found fault by the Council and the Council has agreed to apologise to Miss X and provide a financial remedy.

    Service improvements

    Review the Council’s process for issuing reminders to the waste crews to identify any improvements in how it carries out its assisted collection service

  • City of York Council (23 007 320)

    Category: Environment and regulation Date: 15-Jan-2024

    Summary

    Mr X complained the Council had failed to collect his household waste on multiple occasions since December 2022. We found fault because of the failed collections and ineffective monitoring to improve the situation. To remedy the injustice caused, the Council has agreed to apologise, make a payment to Mr X and share guidance with relevant officers.

    Service improvements

    The Council will share the Ombudsman’s guidance on effective complaint handling for local authorities with relevant officers and managers. This will help to ensure complaints are investigated and followed up, where necessary, in a robust manner.

  • City of York Council (23 001 150)

    Category: Children's care services Date: 27-Feb-2024

    Summary

    Miss Y complains the Council wrongly withdrew a proposed package of extended financial support for a Special Guardianship Order (SGO). The complaint was investigated through the statutory complaints procedure but did not conclude with the outcomes Miss Y hoped for. In our view, the investigation was thorough and evidence based but there is some outstanding personal injustice which the Council has agreed to remedy.

    Service improvements

    The Council will remind relevant social workers to manage expectations and to be mindful of how they communicate with carers about financial offers which remain subject to management approval. This could be through a briefing paper, team meeting or part of a training session.The Council will remind those involved in statutory children’s complaint investigations, and investigating officers, of the timescales in the statutory guidance. This could be through a briefing paper, team meeting or part of a training session.

  • City of York Council (22 015 072)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 15-Nov-2023

    Summary

    There was fault by the Council which failed to address Mr X’s complaint about the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards for his mother Mrs Y. There was also delay in giving feedback on safeguarding enquiries. This caused avoidable distress, frustration and time and trouble. The Council will apologise, make Mr X a symbolic payment and review its procedures for requests for standard authorisations.

    Service improvements

    The Council will review and amend its policy of not completing Deprivation of Liberty standard authorisations when a person is in hospital.

  • City of York Council (22 012 570)

    Category: Planning Date: 19-Apr-2023

    Summary

    Mr B says the Council’s building control officer failed to carry out site visits he paid for and inaccurately said more visits took place than was the case. The Council’s records for this building control case are poor, the record of visits undertaken does not support the Council’s claims in correspondence with Mr B and there is no evidence a completion visit took place. An apology and payment to Mr B, a further building control inspection and a reminder to officers is satisfactory remedy.

    Service improvements

    The Council will remind officers dealing with complaints of the need to ensure the relevant records are checked so complaint responses do not contain inaccurate information.The Council will put a procedure in place to ensure building control officers keep clear records of visits and telephone conversations.

  • City of York Council (22 011 700)

    Category: Environment and regulation Date: 09-Mar-2023

    Summary

    Mr X complains the Council has failed to act on bins that obstruct a highway, which has caused a disadvantage to Mr Y who has a disability. The Ombudsman finds fault with the Council for failing to evidence how it given due regard to its Public Sector Equality Duty. The Council has agreed to pay a financial remedy and remake the decision with consideration to its duty.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to remind staff of the Councils duty under the Equality Act to ensure that it evidences consideration during decision making where somebody has a protected characteristic.

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