Case Ref: 23 011 530 Category: Environment and regulation Sub Category: Refuse and recycling

• 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

Case Ref: 23 007 320 Category: Environment and regulation Sub Category: Refuse and recycling

• 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.

Case Ref: 23 001 150 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Friends and family carers

• 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.

Case Ref: 22 015 072 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Charging

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

Case Ref: 22 012 570 Category: Planning Sub Category: Building control

• 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.

Case Ref: 22 011 700 Category: Environment and regulation Sub Category: Refuse and recycling

• 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.

Case Ref: 22 005 428 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Assessment and care plan

• 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.

Case Ref: 22 001 187 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Charging

• 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.

Case Ref: 21 013 797 Category: Planning Sub Category: Enforcement

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

Case Ref: 21 013 585 Category: Transport and highways Sub Category: Parking and other penalties

• 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.