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 11 - 20 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 (21 016 894)

    Category: Education Date: 31-Oct-2022

    Summary

    Mrs X complained the Council failed to properly deal with her application for an EHC plan for her daughter. We found the Council’s initial decision not to carry out an EHC assessment was one it was entitled to make. While the EHC took too long to issue, the impact of this was negated by the Council’s agreement to revisit the assessment without the need for the family to appeal. We found there was fault in respect of a school transport issue and in communication about consultations. We also found some issues with the EHC drafting constituted fault. We recommended a remedy for the impact of these issues.

    Service improvements

    The Council should instruct/train officers not to ask parents to sign transport disclaimers early in the EHC process, before school consultations have established the nearest suitable school. The Council should provide us with evidence it has done this.

  • Essex County Council (21 016 639)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 05-Jan-2023

    Summary

    Ms X complained on behalf of her father, Mr Y, about the Council-commissioned home care provided to him at weekends. Ms X says the care provided at weekends was rushed and caused harm to Mr Y. We found fault by the Council and the Council has agreed to apologise to Mr Y and review the charges made by the care provider.

    Service improvements

    Remind Premier Care of the importance of accurately recording visit times and assure itself Premier Care is completing records accurately

  • Essex County Council (21 016 616)

    Category: Transport and highways Date: 23-Aug-2022

    Summary

    the Council failed to take action to deal with flooding of Mr C’s road and failed to give him any information about what action the Council was considering. An apology and payment to Mr C, assessment of the case and training for officers is satisfactory remedy.

    Service improvements

    The Council’s planned training for enforcement officers should include a reminder of the need to keep those who have reported issues up-to-date with what is happening and to explain target timescales for action.

  • Essex County Council (21 013 721)

    Category: Other Categories Date: 24-May-2022

    Summary

    Ms X complains the Council has not dealt with her mother’s death properly. The Council is at fault because it did not provide information, delayed sending the death certificate and did not respond to Ms X’s complaint clearly. The Council has agreed to apologise to Ms X, pay Ms X £175, provide information, provide guidance to staff and review its complaint responses.

    Service improvements

    Ensure that a copy of or link to the Guide to Coroner’s Services booklet is provided to every Interested Person following a death referred to the CoronerProvide guidance to staff that case record entries must record the provision of the Guide and should provide an accurate summary of matters discussed over the telephone with Interested PersonsProvide guidance to staff to ensure its complaint procedures are followed;Provide complaint response letter templates to ensure they include reference, where appropriate, to which stage of the complaints process they are issued under and how the complainant may progress their complaint if they are unhappy with the response.

  • Essex County Council (21 013 183)

    Category: Education Date: 07-Jun-2022

    Summary

    Mrs X complained the Council has failed to properly manage her son’s EHCP review and delayed in issuing an amended plan. She states this has negatively impacted on her son’s education and led to him missing school. Mrs X also complained her son has been illegally excluded from school on three occasions over the last 12 months and that the Council has failed to provide suitable alternative provision. The delays in annual review process and in issuing a final EHC plan amount to fault. As does the failure to provide suitable alternative education between November 2021 and April 2022. This fault has caused Y and Mrs X an injustice.

    Service improvements

    The Council has also agreed to provide reminders/training to ensure that staff understand the Council’s duty to offer suitable alternative educational provision when children are out of school and not receiving a full-time education

  • Essex County Council (21 011 373)

    Category: Other Categories Date: 29-May-2022

    Summary

    Mr X complains the Council has not dealt with his father’s death properly. The Council is at fault because it did not provide information, took too long to allocate a Coroner’s Officer and did not offer the opportunity to view the body. The Council has agreed to apologise to Mr X, pay Mr X £100, provide information and provide guidance to staff.

    Service improvements

    Ensure that a copy of or link to the Guide to Coroner’s Services booklet is provided to every Interested Person following a death referred to the CoronerProvide guidance to staff that case record entries must record the provision of the Guide and should provide an accurate summary of matters discussed over the telephone with Interested Persons

  • Essex County Council (21 010 309)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 19-Apr-2022

    Summary

    Mr X complained the Council failed to clearly communicate or respond properly to his queries about the payment arrangements for his late mother, Mrs Y’s care. The Council was at fault. There were errors in communication around Mrs Y’s finances, delays in responding to his complaint, and it failed to keep Mr X updated about Mrs Y’s care. The Council has agreed to apologise and pay Mr X £200 to acknowledge the uncertainty and frustration this caused. It has agreed to review its procedures to prevent a recurrence of the faults.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to review its procedures to ensure it confirms in writing the Council’s position when a care home resident is required to pay a care home direct and the Council’s involvement in paying for care has ended.The Council has agreed to review its procedures to ensure it properly considers whether to exercise its discretion when a resident of a care home or their representative is a self funder and requests the Council’s assistance with arranging their care. It should confirm its decision in writing.The Council has agreed to remind relevant staff that if an adult requests for their next of kin to be involved and updated on the outcome of a review/needs assessment, and there is no reason to doubt their capacity, this should be done in a timely manner.

  • Essex County Council (21 009 402)

    Category: Education Date: 19-Jul-2022

    Summary

    Mr Y complains about the Council’s refusal to provide transport assistance for his daughter, W, to attend her nearest available secondary school. We find the Council at fault for not properly considering W’s case. In particular, that there was no closer school she could attend due to her status as a late applicant and furthermore for not properly exploring the circumstances around the family’s reasons for applying late. The Council will apologise, re-take its decision and amend its Education Transport policy.

    Service improvements

    The Council will review its Education Transport Policy to include information about how it assesses eligibility for applicants who attend their nearest suitable school after having applied ‘late’ for their school place.The Council will remind officers who assess transport eligibility of the requirement to consider the availability of school places at the point that places were allocated for the school application in question.

  • Essex County Council (21 008 070)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 09-Oct-2022

    Summary

    Mr L complained about the way the Council supported his son, Mr X’s care needs. Mr L said the Council failed to meet Mr X’s care needs and failed to meet his, and his wife’s needs as carers. The Council delayed in assessing the care and support needs and failed to provide supported living when Mr and Mrs L said they could no longer care for Mr X. The Council agreed to arrange appropriate alternative accommodation for Mr X. It agreed to pay Mr X £500, and Mr and Mrs L £3,000 to recognise the distress and additional strain caused to them over a prolonged period as a result of the faults.

    Service improvements

    The Council will remind staff of the timescales for reviews of care and support plans, at least every 12 months, and that when someone’s needs have changed, it must carry out a new needs assessment without delay.The Council will complete a final version of its amended adult social care practice forum guidance document and share it with relevant staff members.

  • Essex County Council (21 008 023)

    Category: Education Date: 08-May-2022

    Summary

    Miss X complained that the Council failed to consider her application and appeal for home to school transport for her 16-year-old son properly. There was fault in the way the Council considered the matter as it did not look at whether in all the circumstances of the case it was necessary to offer help with transport. Nor did it explain how it measured distances. The Council has agreed to review the decision and its post-16 transport policy.

    Service improvements

    The Council will: review its post-16 education transport policy and revise it to refer to the need to consider whether it is necessary to provide transport; remind officers involved in transport appeals of this requirement; and revise the policy to include details of how the Council measures home to school walking distances.

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