Service improvements

Essex County Council

Showing service improvements between 1 April 2022 and 31 March 2023

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 24 cases with service improvements

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

  • Essex County Council (22 013 530)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 16-Mar-2023

    Summary

    We have not investigated most of Mrs X’s complaints about her relative Mrs Y’s care because there is not enough evidence of fault or they are late. We have upheld one complaint about Mrs Y’s footcare because the Care Home did not take adequate steps to liaise with the family to ensure Mrs Y had enough money to pay for the chiropodist. This meant she missed out on treatment for her toenails. The Council will apologise and take action described in this statement.

    Service improvements

    The Council will carry out a quality monitoring visit to ensure the arrangements for chiropody in the Care Home are working and that residents are all able to access chiropody where this is needed.

  • Essex County Council (22 011 140)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 21-Dec-2022

    Summary

    We will not investigate this complaint about deprivation of assets to avoid care charges. That is because we are satisfied with the action the Council has agreed to take.

    Service improvements

    The Council agreed to remind staff that when responding to complaints about deprivation of asset decisions, they should respond to points of dispute and set out reasons why the decision is upheld or not upheld.

  • Essex County Council (22 010 021)

    Category: Children's care services Date: 30-Jan-2023

    Summary

    Ms X complained the Council failed to provide her with appropriate support when she agreed to care for her grandchild, F, between 2017 and 2020. The Council upheld Ms X’s complaints after investigating them under the statutory children’s complaints procedure. The Council failed to provide her with relevant support or explain the implications of caring for F under a private arrangement. The Council agreed to pay Ms X £1000 to recognise the distress and uncertainty caused to her as well as the further £1000 it has already offered to cover reasonable expenses. It also agreed to carry out service improvements.

    Service improvements

    The Council will explain to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman how it has reviewed its private care arrangement processes and what improvements it has put in place, as it agreed to do following the conclusionof the complaints process.The Council will consider developing a leaflet which fully explains to people the implications of caring for children and young people under a private family and friends’ arrangement.The Council will review its relevant policy to ensure staff are aware that where people are considering caring for children or young people under a private arrangement they should explain the implications of such arrangement and provide information about what support services are available. The policy should ensure staff properly evidence and record this on the relevant case notes.

  • Essex County Council (22 009 279)

    Category: Planning Date: 26-Jan-2023

    Summary

    We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s creation of a temporary compound on land near his home as the matter has not caused significant injustice. We cannot investigate Mr X’s concerns about the costs of a flood defence project as the matter falls outside our jurisdiction and any complaint about the decision to grant planning permission for the compound concerns the actions of the local planning authority.

    Service improvements

    The Council agreed to review procedures so a proper, considered decision is promptly reached about whether planning consent is needed for a site, when looking at future locations for temporary site compounds.The Council agreed to review its practices so evidence continues to be available in the event of an officer leaving the Council.

  • Essex County Council (22 006 917)

    Category: Children's care services Date: 10-Mar-2023

    Summary

    Ms X complains that the Council failed to carry out a parent carer’s needs assessment properly. We find that the analysis in the assessment was flawed. But as the problem was remedied in a later assessment which came to the same conclusion, we could not say the fault affected the outcome. The Council has agreed to apologise and demonstrate how it has addressed problems with its complaint handling.

    Service improvements

    The Council will tell the Ombudsman what steps it has taken or will take to address the complaint-handling faults found during the investigation under the statutory children’s social care complaints procedure. These are to ensure:•stage 2 investigations are started within the required timescales;•the service area complained about sends a representative to the stage 3 Review Panel hearing.

  • Essex County Council (22 005 526)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 21-Mar-2023

    Summary

    Mr X complains about the care provided to his brother at home by Prompt Healthcare, along with damage to his property caused by the carers. We find fault with Prompt and have made recommendations to the Council for the injustice caused to Mr X.

    Service improvements

    The Council should check the action plan of the service provider which was agreed as a result of a safeguarding investigation, and report back to us on the quality monitoring visit. The Council should also ensure the service provider has a system in place to retain records from a service users home, and check the service providers policies around record storage and retention.

  • Essex County Council (22 001 277)

    Category: Transport and highways Date: 24-Oct-2022

    Summary

    Mr X complains the Council has unreasonably refused his application for a dropped kerb. We find the Council was at fault for failing to consider whether there were any exceptional circumstances. The Council has agreed to reconsider Mr X application and exceptional circumstances and improve its services to prevent this fault from reoccurring.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to review it policies to ensure it makes it clear people can cite exception circumstances and the Council will consider these in line with its equality duty.The Council will remind all staff that they must consider whether there are exceptional circumstances which means they should depart from the Council’s policy in certain cases to prevent an injustice.

  • Essex County Council (22 000 336)

    Category: Education Date: 18-Nov-2022

    Summary

    Mr B complained the Council’s transport provider repeatedly failed to transport his disabled son to school, and the Council failed to properly respond to his complaints. We found the Council caused a service failure as it failed its duty to ensure Mr B’s son was transported to school in line with his special educational needs. The Council agreed to apologise to Mr B and make payment to remedy the injustice this caused him and his son.

    Service improvements

    The Council will provide an update on its ongoing review of its school transport service for Child X and other families. Including any learning and actions taken as a result of this complaint.The Council will remind its staff to respond to complaints as set out in the Council’s Corporate Complaints Policy, regardless of whether responses have also been provided by councilors, or commissioned service providers. This is to ensure, once the Council’s internal complaint process has been completed, all complainants have the opportunity to bring their concerns to the attention of the Ombudsman, or other relevant body.

  • Essex County Council (21 018 413)

    Category: Children's care services Date: 15-Aug-2022

    Summary

    Mrs Y complained about the Council’s decision to end her foster son, X’s staying put arrangement with her and Mr B. She said the Council failed to take proper account of X’s mental health and need for support. We find the Council was at fault for failing to communicate with Mrs Y and Mr B and failing to include all required information in the arrangement. This led to Mrs Y and Mr B feeling unsupported by the Council. We make several recommendations to address the injustice caused by fault.

    Service improvements

    Council to issue written reminders to relevant staff ensure they are aware of the staying put guidance, specifically in relation to: making sure discussions and decisions arerecorded in meeting minutes, plans and case records and that these arecommunicated to everyone involved.The living together agreement considering and including duration, review, and termination.

  • Essex County Council (21 017 671)

    Category: Transport and highways Date: 31-Oct-2022

    Summary

    Mr D complains the Council located a bus stop near his home. The Ombudsman has found fault because the Council has not evidenced how it considered the bus stop application. The Ombudsman has upheld the complaint and completed the investigation: the Council agreed to review the case and improve procedures for the future.

    Service improvements

    The Council will implement a decision making record for bus stop cases.

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