Service improvements

East Sussex County Council

Showing service improvements between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025

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 - 4 of 4 cases with service improvements

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

  • East Sussex County Council (23 015 102)

    Category: Education Date: 29-May-2024

    Summary

    We found fault on Mr B’s complaint about the appeal panel failing to properly consider his appeal against the decision to refuse his son a Year 4 place at his preferred school. We found fault in the decision making by the panel and with the clerk’s record keeping. The agreed action remedies the injustice caused.

    Service improvements

    The clerk will remind the clerk about the need to make accurate and more detailed records of appeal hearings.The Council agreed to provide training to the panel about the consideration of evidence and reaching decisions on prejudice.The Council agreed to act to ensure on future appeals, the presenting officer has sufficient information to allow for detailed answering of questioning by panels.The Council agreed to act to ensure on future appeals, the Council as admission authority provides submission statements with fuller, relevant information.

  • East Sussex County Council (23 014 977)

    Category: Education Date: 11-Jul-2024

    Summary

    Mrs X complained the Council delayed putting in place alternative provision for her daughter, M after she stopped attending school in September 2023. The Council was at fault. It delayed putting alternative provision in place between September 2023 and February 2024. The Council agreed to make payments to Mrs X to acknowledge the impact this had on M’s education and for the distress and uncertainty caused.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to explain what action it intends to take around its commissioning arrangements for alternative provision tutors for children out of school. This is to prevent delays in securing alternative provision for children out of school going forward.

  • East Sussex County Council (23 013 708)

    Category: Education Date: 23-Oct-2024

    Summary

    Miss X complained the Council delayed providing an Education, Health and Care Plan for her daughter following an annual review. She says the Council’s actions meant her daughter was out of school and did not receive appropriate educational provision. Miss X says she was unable to work during this period. We found fault by the Council. The Council has agreed to make some service improvements and provide an apology and a financial remedy to Miss X.

    Service improvements

    Remind staff to adhere to the statutory timeframes as part of the Education, Health and Care Plan review process.Remind staff of the importance of recognising parental requests for early reviews of Education, Health and Care Plans, and of the importance of acting on those requests in a timely manner.

  • East Sussex County Council (23 009 164)

    Category: Education Date: 18-Jul-2024

    Summary

    There was delay in putting alternative education in place when a child was unable to attend school due to anxiety and when the Council had ‘off-rolled’ the child from their school. The Council will apologise, make a symbolic payment and carry out service improvements.

    Service improvements

    The Council will review its processes for alternative provision to ensure they are in line with current statutory guidance in terms of timescale and the requirement for medical evidence.The Council will review its use of ‘off-rolling’ to ensure this is only used where the legal criteria is met.The Council will ensure that appropriate wording is used in EHC Plans to specify whether alternative provision is interim provision or whether it has decided a child’s needs cannot be met in any school and EOTAS is required.

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