Case Ref: 20 000 512 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Safeguarding

• The Council will remind relevant staff that planned moves between care homes should not be delayed whilst awaiting the outcome of Continuing Heath Care assessments.

Case Ref: 19 014 659 Category: Education Sub Category: School transport

• The Council is in the process of reviewing its education transport appeals system to allow the opportunity to make representations in person at the second stage to people who would be disadvantaged by not being able to do so.

Case Ref: 19 013 811 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Charging

• The Council will review the guidance and training for its Finance and Benefits Assessment Team, to ensure that financial assessments are carried out promptly and the client is provided with all the required information promptly.
• The Council will organise a workshop for its Adult Social Care complaints team about ensuring a resolution focus to complaints handling.
• The Council has agreed to provide a report to the Ombudsman with the findings from the review it will carry out of its policy guidance around charging and financial assessments to ensure it is fully compliant with the Care Act 2014.

Case Ref: 19 013 017 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Assessment and care plan

• The Council has agreed to identify the action it needs to take to ensure that when a care package is not approved it does not prevent the completion of a care and support plan.

Case Ref: 19 012 628 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• For the Council to consider whether its processes are robust enough to enable it to take prompt action when it has a Section 19 duty under the Education Act 1996 (i.e. to provide education for children who are not in school because of illness, exclusion or otherwise) or when it needs to take truancy action.
• For the Council to consider whether it needs to remind schools when Annual Reviews are due and whether it could periodically check implementation of provision in Education, Health and Care Plans by schools.

Case Ref: 19 010 267 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Charging

• The Council has agreed to review and revise the discretionary disregard report form it uses, which collects all the information it needs to inform a subsequent decision as to whether it should apply its discretion to disregard a property as part of a financial assessment.
• The Council will remind its adult social care and finance staff of the importance to ensure they provide enough information about charging, as early as possible, to ensure a client is able to understand any contributions they may, or will be asked, to pay, so they can make informed decisions.

Case Ref: 19 007 535 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Assessment and care plan

• The Council will remind its officers of good practice when referral are received such as contacting the referrer for more information.

Case Ref: 19 001 556 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Assessment and care plan

• The Council will include the lessons learned from this case as part of a review of its staff guidance on how to carry out mental capacity assessments, as well as its staff training provision on this topic.