Case Ref: 23 013 461 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council will share this decision with its Special Educational Needs Improvement Partnership Board to ensure the faults we identified are considered as part of its Special Educational Needs Improvement Plan.

Case Ref: 23 013 315 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council should review its process for monitoring review reports sent by schools. The Council should ensure this process considers its duty to issue a decision to parents within four weeks of the review.

Case Ref: 23 012 482 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Assessment and care plan

• The Council has agreed to provide training or guidance to its staff to ensure they are aware of the Council’s duties under sections 37 and 38 of the Care Act 2014.
• The Council has agreed to review its procedures to ensure that when it is informed that someone with care and support needs is moving to its area, it takes appropriate action, in accordance with sections 37 and 38 of the Care Act 2014 and the care and support statutory guidance.

Case Ref: 23 011 565 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Looked after children

• The Council will remind staff dealing with children’s services complaints of the importance of following the statutory complaints procedure in relation to looked after children.

Case Ref: 23 009 856 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council agreed to review how it manages and provides oversight of pupils on part time timetables. The Council should ensure it has a system in place so pupils are not left on part time timetables for longer than necessary.The Council should consider how it can keep clear and consistent records of its oversight and decision-making for pupils on a part time timetable.

Case Ref: 23 009 448 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Disabled children

• The Council agreed to issue reminders to relevant staff carrying out assessments within its Disabled Children’s Service about:the timescales for child in need assessments, as set out in statutory guidance and its own policies; andthe importance of not pre-judging the outcome of a child in need assessment before it is complete.
• The Council agreed to issue reminders to staff within its Disabled Children’s Service with responsibility for responding to service complaints, about:the importance of fully investigating and clearly responding to allegations of racism; and the Council’s duties under the Equality Act 2010.

Case Ref: 23 012 631 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Other

• The Council was at fault for failing to comply with the remedy on a previous complaint, and failing to reply to the person making the complaint. The Council will review why it has still not answered the person's complaint, despite a previous Ombudsman investigation finding it at fault for delay. If the Council identifies flaws in its processes, it will send the Ombudsman an action plan setting out how it intends to address those flaws.

Case Ref: 23 008 316 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council will remind relevant staff to begin consulting placements for young people transferring from secondary school to post 16 placements in good time, to ensure Education, Health and Care Plans are issued in line with the statutory guidance.
• The Council will remind relevant staff of the importance of responding to contact and of providing regular updates where families are waiting for an amended Education, Health and Care Plan.

Case Ref: 23 007 134 Category: Education Sub Category: Alternative provision

• The Council will issue advice / guidance to complaint officers that financial remedies can be provided via a complaint process and signpost officers to the Ombudsman's Guidance on Remedies.

Case Ref: 23 006 302 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council will review its capacity to handle stage two complaints so it can comply with its own policy. Where delays in complaint handling arise it will inform complainants early and keep them informed of timescales.