Case Ref: 21 012 426 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Adoption

• Consider what improvements the Council can make to its guidance to ensure prospective adopters are adequately informed about the process for carrying out viability assessments. The Council should report its findings back to the Ombudsman.

Case Ref: 21 011 082 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Other

• The Council will identify everyone in its area receiving section 117 aftercare services who is paying top-ups for aftercare services. It will then produce an action plan for checking the top-up payments are in line with the law and guidance, and reimbursing people who have been charged top-ups incorrectly.
• The Council will ensure relevant staff are aware of the law and guidance that applies to section 117 aftercare top-ups and that these cannot be used for aftercare in a person's own home.

Case Ref: 21 005 827 Category: Education Sub Category: School transport

• The Council has agreed to carry out a lessons-learned exercise regarding what a panel should do when it does not have evidence to back up its views about the flexibility of working parents, and how it should seek that evidence.
• The Council has agreed to review appeal decisions issued for the school year September 2021 where the panel refused sixth-form age transport to identify any parents who missed the opportunity of making verbal representations and offer them the opportunity of a reassessment with the chance to speak to the panel. If the panel then agrees transport, a remedy should be offered for the missed provision.

Case Ref: 21 002 898 Category: Education Sub Category: COVID-19

• The Council will review its systems for checking special educational needs provision is in place when amended final education, health and care plans are issued

Case Ref: 20 012 515 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Safeguarding

• The Council has agreed to share the lessons learned with those involved in investigating adult safeguarding concerns
• The Council has agreed to review its safeguarding process, to ensure it will always consider and record whether those involved in investigating the concerns are sufficiently independent.

Case Ref: 21 011 045 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Safeguarding

• The Council also failed to complete a safeguarding form correctly which would have helped Dr B's care provider understand the scope of investigation. The Council will remind its officers of the importance of safeguarding investigation documentation properly to include setting out the scope for provider investigations.

Case Ref: 21 006 916 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Direct payments

• Implement identified learning in relation to improving its advice and guidance to family members who are formally appointed via a direct payment agreement. The Council will also improve processes to ensure that all formal requirements are put in place from the outset of the agreement.

Case Ref: 21 006 531 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Residential care

• b)remind its staff when the Council has assessed a person as eligible for support and it has arranged the provision of care, the Council remains responsible for care placements. This includes disputes about charges and payments for care provision delivered by third party care providers.

Case Ref: 21 004 468 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: COVID-19

• The Council has agreed to provide evidence of the action it has taken to ensure it does not send reminders for invoices it has not sent.

Case Ref: 21 002 947 Category: Education Sub Category: Alternative provision

• The Council will review the approach it takes to the provision of alternative education for children who are not in school for whatever reason. It should provide training and appropriate guidance to staff. It will tell us of the action taken.