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 11 - 18 of 18 cases with service improvements

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  • City of York Council (22 005 428)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 03-Jan-2023

    Summary

    Mrs X complained about the care provided to her daughter by the Council, delay with setting up direct payments, and its safeguarding investigations. There was fault with the Council not following part of its safeguarding policy but there was no injustice as the risk had been removed. We found fault as the Council did not meet her daughter’s needs consistently for a long period. It also delayed considering Mrs X’s needs as a carer. These faults caused Mrs X significant distress. There was delay in setting up direct payments which further caused uncertainty and frustration. The Council has agreed to our recommendations to remedy the injustice caused.

    Service improvements

    The Council will issue reminders to appropriate staff to ensure they consider carrying out a carers assessment if it appears a carer may have any level of need for support.The Council will issue reminders to appropriate staff to ensure guidance and support is given when asked about direct payments and ensure proper consideration is given to these requests.

  • City of York Council (22 001 187)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 16-Oct-2022

    Summary

    Mrs F complained about the Council’s decision to apply a top up on her mother’s care charge contributions. She also complained about the advice and support she received. We found fault in the way the Council applied its top up charge and the support it provided Mrs F with finding suitable care homes for her mother. The Council agreed to apologise to Mrs F, remove its top up charges, and make payment to acknowledge the injustice this caused her.

    Service improvements

    The Council will review its existing policy to ensure a consistent approach on top up charges. This includes where an individual has been assessed to be able to afford a more expensive care home, has refused the Council’s offer of a care home and agreed to meet such charges in writing. The Council has no duty to source care arrangements for service users who are self-funders of their care.The Council will provide training to its staff to ensure timely accurate advice and guidance is provided to residential care users, or their representatives, regarding top up charges. And, where applicable, requests for support with finding suitable care homes are actioned without delay.

  • City of York Council (21 013 797)

    Category: Planning Date: 25-Aug-2022

    Summary

    Mr X complained the Council failed to take appropriate and timely enforcement action regarding a breach of planning control near his home. He says his outlook is now unsightly and he has spent a significant amount of time and effort progressing the matter with the Council. We find the Council failed to update Mr X with the action it was taking causing injustice to him. We recommend it apologises to Mr X, pays him £300 and acts to prevent recurrence.

    Service improvements

    The Council should amend its policy to include updating complainants on key actions and decsions reached during an enforcement investigation

  • City of York Council (21 013 585)

    Category: Transport and highways Date: 03-Apr-2022

    Summary

    Miss X complained about the Council’s failure to issue a parking permit, poor handling of her complaint and failure to properly consider her request for compensation. Miss X said she incurred extra costs, frustration in finding alternative parking and chasing the Council’s response. We found the Council at fault and recommended it apologise to Miss X, pay £144.80 and act to prevent recurrence.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to contact anyone who complained about not receiving a parking permit due to the system fault in October 2021 and offer a refund for any extra parking costs incurred, if there is evidence of such costs.The Council has agreed to provide parking complaint handling staff with guidance on the Ombudsman's expectations that Councils will offer the right of a review or appeal on decisions.

  • City of York Council (21 011 789)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 15-Aug-2022

    Summary

    Mr and Mrs X complained the Council poorly managed their child, Y’s, transition from children’s services to adult services as a care leaver. They say this caused them and Y distress and affected Y’s health. They also say the Council handled their complaint poorly. The Council is at fault. There were faults during the transition planning process and with complaints handling. The Council has agreed to apologise to Mr and Mrs X and Y, make remedy payments in recognition of the uncertainty and distress caused and act to improve its services.

    Service improvements

    The Council will remind relevant officers that complaints about the actions of the Council's children's services fall under the children's statutory complaints procedure, regardless of the young person's age when the complaint is raised.The Council will review its procedures for transition planning with young people approaching 18, in particular how it ensures plans for post-18 accommodation are in place well before the young person's 18th birthday.

  • City of York Council (21 003 895)

    Category: Housing Date: 04-Jan-2022

    Summary

    Mr X complains on behalf of his son, Mr Y, that the Council did not inform him of his right to apply for a Rent Repayment Order (RRO), when it found the property he was a tenant in was an unlicensed House in Multiple Occupation (HMO). He says when the Council did tell him it was too late, as the time limit to apply to a tribunal had ended. Mr X also says the Council did not issue notices regarding hazards at the HMO as required by law and did not respond to his complaint despite acknowledging it, which caused uncertainty and distress. We find fault with how the Council handled Mr X’s complaint, its failure to issue the required notices and with some of the information it provided. The Council has agreed to apologise, make a payment for the uncertainty and distress caused, and the time and trouble used pursuing the complaint. It has also agreed to make service improvements.

    Service improvements

    • Provide guidance to relevant staff to ensure they understand an RRO can only be applied for within 12 months of a relevant offence being committed.• Remind its staff of the requirement to issue occupiers with a copy of a HAN. Additionally, the communication should cover the requirement to provide notice of an inspection at a property and to inform complainants who raise questions about fire safety that it has arrangements in place with the local fire authority, and not to just direct complainants to the fire service in these circumstances.

  • City of York Council (21 003 630)

    Category: Environment and regulation Date: 13-Jan-2022

    Summary

    Mrs X, who is visually impaired and unsteady on her feet, complained that the Council has failed repeatedly, to assist, as agreed, with her bin collections. She says this causes her an injustice because she is unable to collect her bins by herself and has had falls in the past when she has tried. The Council has accepted fault and said it is willing to consider a remedy. We have suggested it remedy the fault with a payment to acknowledge distress and a period of monitoring. We have also recommended it look at how it has addressed other service-users complaints about their assisted bin collections.

    Service improvements

    The Council should contact other residents who use the Council’s assisted bin collection service and have complained about missed collections since 1 April 2021. In cases where complaints have continued, the Council should: a) review whether monitoring has failed in their cases as well, and; b) consider what steps it should take to acknowledge any distress caused. c) Those residents should be told they can take their case to the Ombudsman if they are unhappy with the Council’s approach.

  • City of York Council (17 006 785)

    Category: Children's care services Date: 16-Oct-2018

    Summary

    Ms X and Mr Y complain about what happened when their youngest son, who we shall call Z, was admitted to hospital. Ms X and Mr Y’s son passed away whilst he was in hospital and whilst the family were subject to ongoing court action by the Council regarding their children. Ms X and Mr Y say the Council restricted their ability to spend time with Z when he was in hospital which limited the time they were able to spend with him before he passed away. Ms X and Mr Y complain the Council delayed dealing with their complaint under the statutory children’s complaints procedure.

    Service improvements

    The Council should review its existing policies to set out supervision arrangements which can be made available for parents or other relatives visiting looked after children in hospital.The Council should contact a hospital in a neighbouring council area as well as the neighbouring council to develop closer working arrangements when looked after children receive treatment out of area.The Council should review training needs of officers at all levels with regards to the statutory complaints process and relevant timescales.The Council should review its handling of statutory children's complaints since September 2016 to ensure complaints are being dealt with in line with statutory timescales.

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