Service improvements

Durham County Council

Showing service improvements between 1 April 2021 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 36 cases with service improvements

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Downloads the current filtered list of service improvement decisions for Durham County Council as a CSV file.

  • Durham County Council (25 007 651)

    Category: Education Date: 13-Feb-2026

    Summary

    Mrs X complained how the independent appeal panel dealt with her appeal for a school place for her son. We find some fault in the clerk’s notes about the stage one process. This did not cause Mrs X a significant injustice. However, the Council has agreed to our recommendation to implement a service improvement to prevent a recurrence of the fault.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to issue written reminders to clerks to ensure they properly record the panel’s decision at stage one of the school admissions appeals process.

  • Durham County Council (25 005 117)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 06-Feb-2026

    Summary

    Mrs B complains about invoices relating to adult social care support. Mrs B says the Council sent her an invoice late in 2023 and that there were multiple and repeated errors in the invoices from 2024. We have found fault in relation to the late invoice but there were no errors in the later invoices. The Council has agreed to apologise and to carry out a service improvement.

    Service improvements

    Ensure all relevant staff understand the Council’s duty to carry out financial assessments and send out invoices in a timely manner. It will provide training or guidance as needed.

  • Durham County Council (25 004 361)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 04-Feb-2026

    Summary

    Ms Y complained the Council failed to arrange transport for her daughter to attend a day centre. We find fault in the Council’s handling of the matter, including poor communication, delay, inadequate consideration of the circumstances, and a failure to properly address the unmet transport and care support needs. This caused ongoing uncertainty and distress for Ms Y. The Council has agreed to apologise, address the outstanding support gap, make a payment to Ms Y, and take action to improve its practice.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to, using this case as an example, remind relevant Adult Social Care Staff of the need to:properly record discretionary decisions, including the reasons for them;clearly explain the consequences when families decline a proposed service; anddistinguish between a service user’s eligible needs and a carer’s support needs, in line with the Care Act 2014.

  • Durham County Council (24 021 099)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 25-Sep-2025

    Summary

    Ms X complained the Council did not explain the fees and charges for her father’s (Mr F’s) care when he moved into supported accommodation. She said the Council did not charge him properly or communicated with him or Ms X for the last three years and has now issued a large invoice for his care.

    Service improvements

    The Council agreed to review how it monitors cases and create an action plan to alert staff when a review of an individual’s care plan is required (both at six to eight weeks after a new plan, and annually).The Council also agreed to remind staff to update the appropriate systems to ensure invoices are raised in a timely manner and to check this has been effective.The Council agreed to remind staff of the importance of good record keeping and communication.

  • Durham County Council (24 017 370)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 13-May-2025

    Summary

    We have upheld Mrs X’s complaint about a lack of advice about the costs of adult social care. The Council has agreed to apologise and make a symbolic payment to Mrs X to remedy the uncertainty caused. It will also remind relevant staff about the importance of providing appropriate information about charging for adult social care.

    Service improvements

    The Council will remind relevant staff of the importance of providing advice about adult social care charging when assessing needs so families can make an informed choice about care and support, to ensure the advice is properly recorded and to provide written advice about charging, for example, by sending a leaflet or a link to relevant information on its website.

  • Durham County Council (24 012 474)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 05-Feb-2026

    Summary

    Mr B complained about how the Council and Trust assessed and planned Ms C’s care, and arranged discharge from hospital. We found fault with the way the Council handled Ms C’s care assessment and hospital discharge, causing distress to Ms C and distress and uncertainty to Mr B. The Council agreed to apologise to Mr B, make a symbolic payment, and make service improvements. We found no fault in the Trust’s actions.

    Service improvements

    The Council will review its systems and procedures relating to care act assessments and involving families and advocates, to improve future practice.

  • Durham County Council (24 009 519)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 18-May-2025

    Summary

    Ms D complained the Council ignored her requests to discuss her mother’s (Ms M’s) return home after being told she needed to be in a care home. This caused Ms D and her mother emotional distress and potential financial distress for Ms M. The Council is at fault for poor communication and failing to proactively manage Ms M’s assessment. This has caused Ms M and Ms D distress. I have recommended a package of remedies.

    Service improvements

    The Council agreed to remind staff about the importance of communication with the individual receiving support and their family and keeping them updated throughout the assessment.The Council agreed to remind staff about the importance of providing a timely explanation of the financial assessment and the potential charges. Any verbal explanation should be followed in writing.

  • Durham County Council (24 003 695)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 25-Feb-2026

    Summary

    Mr B complained on behalf of his mother, Ms C, that the Trust did not provide suitable rehabilitation in hospital, that the Trust and Council failed to communicate changes to Ms C’s care plan, and that the Council did not communicate with Ms C about charges for care and wrongly charged her. We found fault with how the Council communicated with Ms C about charges, and that this caused uncertainty and distress to Ms C and Mr B. The Council has agreed to apologise, make a symbolic payment, and improve services. We found no fault in the Trust’s actions.

    Service improvements

    The Council agreed to review its guidance to improve communication with people about the need to make a financial contribution towards care.

  • Durham County Council (24 008 210)

    Category: Education Date: 12-Mar-2025

    Summary

    Mrs X complained the Council failed to ensure her child D, a young adult with disabilities, received suitable education and support for their special educational needs. There was fault by the Council which caused D to miss special educational needs support. It also caused distress to D and Mrs X. The Council agreed to apologise and pay a financial remedy. It will also review why it delayed in completing an Education, Health, and Care needs assessment in D’s case and produce an action plan to prevent recurrence of the same fault.

    Service improvements

    The Council agreed to review why it delayed in completing an Education, Health, and Care (EHC) needs assessment and finalising the EHC Plan. It will produce a dated action plan to prevent recurrence of the same faults in future.

  • Durham County Council (24 007 979)

    Category: Education Date: 13-Jan-2025

    Summary

    Mrs X complained about the Council’s actions when carrying out an Education, Health and Care needs assessment for her child. Mrs X said this meant her child had to wait longer than they should for an Education, Health and Care Plan. We found the Council at fault for the time taken to carry out the Education, Health and Care needs assessment. To remedy the injustice caused the Council agreed to apologise, make a payment to Mrs X for the distress caused and carry out service improvements.

    Service improvements

    Provide the Ombudsman with an update as to what specific action it is taking to reduce the backlog of assessments waiting for advice from Educational Psychologists.Stop routinely applying the exemption where an educational institution is closed for at least four weeks. The Council should only apply this when it is relevant and the delays completing the assessment are due to it being unable to receive advice in time from the educational provider. The Council should provide evidence to the Ombudsman as to what steps it has taken to stop this exemption being routinely applied to all cases with delays.

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