Case Ref: 23 003 041 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Safeguarding

• The Council has agreed to identify the action it is going to take to ensure staff maintain appropriate boundaries when dealing with colleagues who are acting as members of the public.

Case Ref: 23 002 807 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• Issue written reminders to relevant staff to ensure they aware of the guidance which states • Following comments from the child’s parent or the young person, if the council decides to continue to make amendments, it must issue the amended EHC plan as soon as practicable and within eight weeks of the date it sent the EHC plan and proposed amendments to the parents. (Section 22(3) SEND Regulations 2014 and SEN Code paragraph 9.196)

Case Ref: 22 011 175 Category: Education Sub Category: School transport

• The Council has agreed to issue guidance toall staff involved with deciding transport applications:to ensure that when a child hasan EHCP naming one school in Section I, the Council should treat it as thenearest suitable school for that child’s needs, without any furtherconsideration of the other options; andto ensure theyconsider all information provided about the child before reaching a view on themost appropriate transport and not be guided solely by the type of schoolplacement named on an EHCP.

Case Ref: 22 005 731 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Other

• Remind staff and if necessary, provide training about how to assess capacity where there is fluctuating capacity, in particular cases where there is substance misuse;
• Review policies and procedures so they address assessing and supporting people with fluctuating capacity;
• Remind staff about taking prompt action in response to safeguarding concerns and to follow action plans and include them as part of the care management process if they arise out of safeguarding;
• Remind staff and review procedures about the need for personalised housing plans and when individuals should receive them.

Case Ref: 22 004 441 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• Explain what it will to do to ensure, where it commissions other organizations to make provision, sufficient processes are in place to reduce the risk of provision not being delivered.

Case Ref: 22 004 206 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Safeguarding

• Remind relevant staff of the importance of keeping the adult who is the subject of a safeguarding enquiry at the centre of the enquiry

Case Ref: 22 002 273 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Safeguarding

• Provide the Ombudsman with a short report setting out the service improvements that have now taken place as a result of the investigation report completed in February 2022. This should include action taken to increase the supply of supported living placements in the Council’s area.
• Reflect on the issues raised in this decision statement and identify any additional areas of service improvement. The Council should prepare a short report setting out what the Council intends to do to ensure similar problems do not reoccur. This should include action taken in respect of the concerns raised by the Agency about Home B. This report should be sent to the Ombudsman.

Case Ref: 22 004 427 Category: Other Categories Sub Category: Other

• Review the inquest recording system to ensure it is fit for purpose and that suitable storage and back up systems are in place.

Case Ref: 22 004 391 Category: Education Sub Category: School transport

• The Council will review its transport appeals process and correspondence, and the published information describing it, to ensure they clearly explain the process followed and the opportunities to comment before a decision is final.

Case Ref: 22 004 080 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Charging

• Council will provide the Ombudsman with details of how it will expedite complaint responses.