Service improvements

Essex County Council

Showing service improvements between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024

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 23 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 (23 002 999)

    Category: Transport and highways Date: 01-Dec-2023

    Summary

    Mr X complained the Council failed to make reasonable adjustments when he contacted it about car damage he said was caused by a pothole. We found fault because the Council failed to consider Mr X’s request for a reasonable adjustment. To remedy the injustice caused by this fault, the Council has agreed to apologise, share information with relevant officers and review some of its procedures.

    Service improvements

    The Council will review the wording on its website to be clearer in what type of photo and map evidence is required to make an insurance claim for vehicle damage. This will help to ensure that those making a claim are fully aware of the type of evidence required.The Council will share the Ombudsman’s report “Equal Access” with relevant senior managers. This will help to promote good practice when considering how it deals with requests for reasonable adjustments to be made.The Council will issue written reminders to relevant officers regarding the Equality Act 2010. This will help to ensure that officers understand their obligations to provide reasonable adjustments.

  • Essex County Council (23 001 990)

    Category: Education Date: 21-Sep-2023

    Summary

    The Council took too long to issue the final Education Health and Care (EHC) plan for Miss B’s son. Its communication with her was not always clear. It is not clear that the Council took account of its anticipatory duty to meet Miss B’s need for reasonable adjustments and it is likely that this contributed to the delay. This caused Miss B distress and frustration, and meant her son missed out on the provision he was entitled to. The Council has agreed to remedy this.

    Service improvements

    Share with staff the Ombudsman’s focus report ‘Equal Access: Getting it right for people with disabilities’, and remind them of the Council’s anticipatory duty to make reasonable adjustments.Share this decision with the relevant staff.

  • Essex County Council (23 001 498)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 11-Oct-2023

    Summary

    The Council failed to ensure Miss Y received accurate invoices for domiciliary care services from a care agency commissioned by the Council. The Council delayed in acting on numerous complaints about this.

    Service improvements

    confirm if/how many other service users have been similarly affected and the action taken to remedy any injustice caused.

  • Essex County Council (23 001 123)

    Category: Education Date: 06-Aug-2023

    Summary

    The Council was at fault for the time taken to amend and issue an Education, Health and Care plan following an annual review. This caused injustice as the child did not know what support they were due to get until just before they moved into post-16 education. To remedy the injustice caused, the Council agreed to apologise, make a payment for the distress caused and produce an action plan showing how it will meet statutory timescales for annual reviews.

    Service improvements

    Look at what went wrong in this case and why there were significant delays and produce an action plan to demonstrate how the Council will meet statutory timescales for annual reviews.

  • Essex County Council (23 000 503)

    Category: Education Date: 30-Jul-2023

    Summary

    Mrs X complained the Council delayed assessing her child, Y, for an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHC Plan). We found the Council was at fault. It delayed conducting an assessment with an Educational Psychologist which as a result, has not decided whether to issue Y an EHC Plan. The Council is currently making service improvements to prevent a recurrence of fault. However, the Council has agreed to make Mrs X a symbolic payment to acknowledge the distress, frustration and uncertainty the matter has caused her. It will also make a further payment to Mrs X to acknowledge further delay once it has made a decision or issued a final EHC Plan to Y.

    Service improvements

    The Council is making service improvements to respond to the increased demand of Education Health and Care Plan assessments and a shortage of Educational Psychologists.

  • Essex County Council (23 000 061)

    Category: Education Date: 21-Dec-2023

    Summary

    Mr X complained about how the Council dealt with his child’s, Y, Education Health and Care Plan. Mr X also complained about the Council’s poor communication with him and how it dealt with his complaint. There were faults by the Council which caused injustice to Y and Mr X. The Council will take action to remedy the injustice caused.

    Service improvements

    Provide the Ombudsman with further update on the outcome of the SEND Co ordination and Oversight Groups consideration of the issues and actions it proposes to take to address its complaint handling and communication difficulties.Provide the Ombudsman with a further update on the Council's progress as set out in its action plan on how it will meet statutory timescales for EHC Plan annual review process and issuing final EHC Plans.

  • Essex County Council (22 017 537)

    Category: Transport and highways Date: 03-Aug-2023

    Summary

    Miss C complains the Council wrongly refused her request for a disabled parking bay at her sister’s property. Miss C says this means her sister’s carers cannot park near her home and she will often not leave as she cannot see the car or will behave unpredictably. We have found fault by the Council but consider the agreed action of an apology, symbolic payment, further review and staff guidance provides a suitable remedy.

    Service improvements

    The Council will remind all staff who may receive or deal with a request about disabled parking bays of its policy with specific reference to how it considers exceptional circumstances to ensure it is providing a full explanation and not fettering its discretion.

  • Essex County Council (22 015 198)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 25-May-2023

    Summary

    The Council failed to act in accordance with the law during assessments/reviews of Ms Y’s care needs from 2020 onwards. It also failed to ensure an adequate personal budget was in place which resulted in the breakdown of an established care package. The Council also failed to communicate effectively with Ms Y’s representative.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to consider any training needs of officers completing or overseeing needs assessments under the Care Act.

  • Essex County Council (22 014 668)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 24-Jul-2023

    Summary

    Ms X complained about how the Council met Mrs Y’s needs for care and support and how it administered her direct payments. The Council failed to give Ms X or Mrs Y sufficient information about direct payments and failed to review Mrs Y’s direct payments and care plan properly. The Council also failed to offer Ms X a carer’s assessment when it should have. This caused Ms X and Mrs Y stress and uncertainty and meant Ms X had to supplement Mrs Y’s direct payments to cover the cost of her care. The Council will apologise, pay Mrs Y the shortfall in her care costs and carry out staff training.

    Service improvements

    The Council will remind staff they must review a person's direct payments and care and support plan every 12 months.The Council will remind staff of the information they should provide to people considering direct payments, as set out in the Care and Support Statutory Guidance.

  • Essex County Council (22 012 659)

    Category: Education Date: 16-Apr-2023

    Summary

    Mr D complained the Council has failed to properly consider his application and appeal for school transport for his daughter. We find the Council was at fault for not allowing Mr D the opportunity to present his case orally and for the lack of detail in its initial decision letter. The Council has agreed to our recommendations to address the injustice caused by fault.

    Service improvements

    The Council will issue written reminders to relevant staff to ensure they provide applicants with sufficiently detailed reasons for rejecting a home to school transport application.The Council will issue written reminders to relevant staff to ensure when an applicant asks about escalating their case from stage one tostage two during the home to school transport appeals process, they are made aware they can make their case orally as well as in writing.

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