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 - 14 of 14 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 (23 010 280)

    Category: Education Date: 08-Jul-2024

    Summary

    Mrs X complains that the Council failed to make suitable alternative education provision for her child, Y, and refused her request for a personal budget. The Council is at fault as it delayed in considering its duty to provide suitable alternative provision, delayed in commissioning the provision and delayed in issuing Y’s Education, Health and Care plan. The delays caused distress to Mr and Mrs X which the Council will apologise for and make a symbolic payment of £500 to them. The Council will also make a symbolic payment of £300 to Y to acknowledge the disadvantage caused to them by the delay in issuing the Education, Health and Care plan and a symbolic payment of £250 to acknowledge they missed three weeks of tuition.

    Service improvements

    By training or other means, ensure relevant officers are aware of the Council’s arrangements for commissioning alternative provision.Draw up an action plan, with timescales, to address any ongoing delays in dealing with and issuing Education, Health and Care plans. This is to ensure the Council meets the statutory timescales for issuing Education, Health and Care plans.

  • Essex County Council (23 010 177)

    Category: Education Date: 09-Apr-2024

    Summary

    Ms X complained the Council delayed carrying out an Education, Health and Care needs assessment for her daughter and did not put in place education when she stopped attending school. Ms X said this has caused her daughter to fall behind in her education. We have found the Council at fault. The Council agreed to apologise, make a payment to recognise the loss of education and distress caused and carry out a service improvement.

    Service improvements

    Review its out of school procedures to ensure it meets its duties to secure alternative provision.

  • Essex County Council (23 009 675)

    Category: Education Date: 02-Apr-2024

    Summary

    Mrs D complained the Council failed to provide her daughter with a suitable education when she was not attending school. We find the Council was at fault for failing to deliver a suitable education. 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 are aware of their duties to arrange alternative provision for children as quickly as possible and with minimal delay.The Council will issue written reminders to relevant staff to ensure they are aware children who receive alternative provision should have access to a broad and balanced curriculum where appropriate. The provision must also be of a standard a child would receive in school.

  • Essex County Council (23 008 542)

    Category: Education Date: 04-Jun-2024

    Summary

    The Council was at fault for a year-long delay in deciding Mrs X’s daughter’s special educational needs support. Although it began delivering some support before the end of the delay period, there was still a significant delay to some of the support Mrs X’s daughter needed. The Council should now deliver missed support and should offer symbolic payments to Mrs X and her daughter to recognise their injustice.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to provide us with an action plan which sets out how, in future, it will avoid similar failures to make timely changes to children's special educational needs support.

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