Service improvements

Essex County Council

Showing service improvements between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025

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 (23 018 404)

    Category: Education Date: 04-Jun-2024

    Summary

    Ms X complained about the time taken by the Council to assess her child’s special educational needs and issue an Education, Health and Care plan. Ms X also complained about the standard of communication she received from the Council. As a result, Ms X’s child still does not have a final Education, Health and Care plan. We found the Council was at fault for delays in completing the assessment of her child’s needs and issuing a final Education, Health and Care plan. We also found the Council at fault for its level of communication with Ms X. To remedy the injustice caused the Council agreed to apologise, make payments to Ms X to recognise the delays and distress caused, issue the child with a final Education, Health and Care plan and reimburse Ms X for the private Educational Psychologist report she paid for.

    Service improvements

    Consider what steps it could take to ensure parents are kept updated about any delays completing an Education, Health and Care needs assessment and delays around getting an Educational Psychologist assessment.

  • Essex County Council (23 017 745)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 03-Dec-2024

    Summary

    Miss X complained about the Council’s decision to stop funding activities that were previously included in her daughter, Y’s care plan, and said the Council failed to consider Y’s disability related expenditure. We find the Council at fault for the removal of an activity, miscommunication, and delay considering Y’s disability related expenditure. This has caused uncertainty, distress, and a loss of funding. The Council has agreed to apologise, make a payment to Miss X, and improve its service.

    Service improvements

    The Council will send a reminder to all relevant staff about the importance of clear documentation and communication in support plans and of ensuring that when activities are included in the EHC Plan that the Council is clear they are meeting an identified need.

  • Essex County Council (23 017 341)

    Category: Children's care services Date: 31-Oct-2024

    Summary

    We upheld a complaint from Mr D and Mr E that they did not receive enough support from the Council when they adopted a child from its area. In particular, when they needed support with the child’s challenging behaviours. We considered fault by the Council caused them unnecessary distress. The Council accepted these findings. At the end of this statement, we set out the action it has agreed to take to remedy their injustice and make service improvements.

    Service improvements

    The Council agreed to deliver briefings to social workers in its children in care service clarifying its policy and expectations when a child being adopted has welfare benefits in payment that need to transfer to the adopted parents; and when they have a personal education plan that must transfer to a new school or local authority area. This is to avoid a repeat of the confusion found during this investigation over both these matters.The Council agreed to review the support services it offers to adoptive parents in the time between a child moving into their care and an Adoption Order being made. It agreed a need for a clear procedure to show who was responsible for considering requests for services from adoptive parents and what services it may offer, including mental health support for the child or parents. It also agreed to consider what further training or support its social workers may need if faced with such requests. This is to avoid a repeat of fault found, where adoptive parents asked for and needed support, but the Council failed to respond in good time or provide adequate support until the Adoption Order was made.

  • Essex County Council (23 015 907)

    Category: Education Date: 08-Jul-2024

    Summary

    Ms C complains the Council delayed in assessing X for an Education Health and Care Plan and for failing to keep her informed. The Council is at fault for delays in the assessment process and in keeping Ms C updated. These faults caused Ms C frustration, time and anxiety. To put things right the Council has agreed to make Ms C a symbolic payment and take action to improve services.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to:-a) review how officers respond to complaints to ensure they respond to all parts of the complaint;b) remind staff of the importance of providing updates; andc) remind staff about the importance of creating out of office alerts.

  • Essex County Council (23 015 646)

    Category: Transport and highways Date: 30-May-2024

    Summary

    Ms X complained the Council wrongly approved her neighbour’s application for a dropped kerb which does not meet the Council’s vehicle crossing criteria. The Council is at fault for failing to ensure the application complies with policy and failing to investigate this thoroughly when Ms X complained. This has caused Ms X frustration and cost her time and trouble bringing the complaint.

    Service improvements

    The Council will remind inspectors they should check applications against the criteria in the policy and ensure they check the measurements.

  • Essex County Council (23 014 631)

    Category: Education Date: 27-May-2024

    Summary

    Miss X complained the Council failed to arrange the speech and language therapy set out in her child, Z’s, Education, Health and Care Plan. The Council was at fault. This caused Miss X avoidable frustration and meant Z missed out on provision they needed. To remedy Miss X and Z’s injustice, the Council should apologise and pay Miss X a total of £1650. The Council should also remind its complaints staff that they should consider whether to offer a complainant a remedy when they uphold their complaint.

    Service improvements

    The Council will remind complaints staff they should consider whether to make a remedy offer to a complainant when they uphold a complaint.

  • Essex County Council (23 013 625)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 17-Jun-2024

    Summary

    Miss X complains the Council failed to support her in her carer role and confirm respite; changed her son’s support package and failed to confirm what it will be; and retracted some provision it had previously offered. We find the Council was at fault. This caused significant distress to Miss X. We make several recommendations to address this injustice caused by fault.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to carry out refresher training for its officers regarding carers assessments and how identified needs are met.

  • Essex County Council (23 012 821)

    Category: Education Date: 03-Jun-2024

    Summary

    Ms X complained the Council delayed issuing her child, Y with an Education, Health and Care Plan, failed to provide a suitable education from November 2022 until July 2023, and failed to provide the provision in their Plan from September 2023. The Council was at fault. It will apologise to Ms X, pay her £7,950 to recognise the injustice caused to her and Y and provide the missing provision.

    Service improvements

    The Council will review how it considers requests for section 19 alternative provision education from both parents and schools. It will consider how it records its decision making. The Council will identify any improvements it needs to make to that process to ensure it properly considers and responds to the requests. It will provide the Ombudsman with a copy of a timebound action plan to make any improvements it has identified.

  • Essex County Council (23 012 654)

    Category: Children's care services Date: 12-May-2024

    Summary

    Mrs X complained the Council’s child in need reports contained wrong or inaccurate information and did not appropriately consider the medical evidence she provided. Mrs X also complained the Council did not arrange a transition plan for her son to its adult social care team. Mrs X says the Council’s actions meant she and her son did not receive the support they should have. We found fault regarding how the Council investigated the complaint about the child in need reports, but no fault in its consideration of a transition plan. The Council has agreed to provide a remedy to address the injustice identified.

    Service improvements

    Remind staff of the importance of considering complaints about children’s social care services via the correct process.

  • Essex County Council (23 012 445)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 17-Oct-2024

    Summary

    Ms X complained on behalf of Ms Y, who has complex additional needs. Ms X complained the Council did not provide a suitable personal assistant, concerns about Ms Y’s assessments and issues contacting the budget holder. There was fault in the way the Council did not ensure Ms Y had a suitably trained support worker. There was also fault in the way the Council did not ensure a suitably trained and experience worker completed Ms Y’s assessment, did not ensure Ms Y could contact her budget holder, did not consider an advocate, did not make reasonable adjustments and poor complaint handling. Ms Y was distressed and frustrated by this fault. The Council should apologise, provide a financial payment and issue guidance to its staff.

    Service improvements

    Remind relevant staff of the importance of effective complaint handling.Remind relevant staff of the importance of the Council’s duties under the Equality Act 2010 to make reasonable adjustments where necessary.

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