Case Ref: 20 013 903 Category: Benefits and tax Sub Category: COVID-19

• The Council did not offer the complainant the opportunity to ask for a review or appeal of its decision and it dealt with the complaint poorly. The Council will remind staff of the need to offer service users a right of review to its decisions and it will provide relevant staff with training on effective complaint handling.

Case Ref: 18 012 217 Category: Benefits and tax Sub Category: Council tax

• The Council will develop a (Council wide) policy on how to check with service users whether they need any reasonable adjustments, because of a disability, to allow access to a service. It is for the Council to decide the extent of that policy. But it should ensure it complies with the requirements of the Equality Act and its Code of Practice; for example that the duty is anticipatory. The Policy should outline when officers should ask about adjustments and when the Council does agree an adjustment, it needs to keep a record of what has been agreed, or why it has not agreed to a request.