Service improvements

Essex County Council

Showing service improvements between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026

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 - 15 of 15 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 (24 016 518)

    Category: Education Date: 30-Jun-2025

    Summary

    Ms X complained the Council failed to arrange suitable education for her daughter, Miss Y, for the 2024/25 school year. The Council failed to secure the education from Miss Y’s Education Health and Care Plan after the college she was supposed to attend did not admit her. It also failed to review Miss Y’s plan when it should have done and communicated with Ms X poorly. This caused Miss Y to miss around a year of education and also caused Miss Y and Ms X avoidable distress. The Council agreed to apologise, and pay them a financial remedy. It also agreed to issue reminders to its staff.

    Service improvements

    The Council agreed to remind its special educational needs staff that the Council is responsible for securing all the provision in a child or young person’s Education Health and Care Plan and should intervene if there is evidence to show support is not being provided.The Council agreed to remind relevant staff of the importance of recording correct information about people and that they should take care to ensure the information they record is accurate.

  • Essex County Council (24 014 730)

    Category: Education Date: 27-May-2025

    Summary

    Miss X complained about school transport provided to her daughter (Y) and the Council’s complaint handling. We found fault in the way the taxi company provided school transport for Y on behalf of the Council. We also found fault in the way the Council responded to Miss X’s complaints. The Council has agreed to apologise, make payments to recognise Miss X’s distress and extra time and trouble spent complaining and discuss the issues raised in Miss X’s complaint with the taxi company. It has also agreed to provide details of the measures taken to ensure improvements in the school transport service provided by the taxi company and to review its complaint handling.

    Service improvements

    The Council will provide a summary of the measures it has taken as part of the performance improvement plan for the taxi company.The Council will review its complaint handling process when the complaint is about an organisation or private company delivering services on the Council’s behalf to ensure the third party’s response forms part of the Council’s complaint process. The Council will also ensure when responding to these complaints it addresses the issues raised and offers suitable remedies including service improvements.

  • Essex County Council (24 012 120)

    Category: Education Date: 14-May-2025

    Summary

    Dr X complains that the Council failed to ensure her child, Y, received the provision in his Education, Health and Care Plan. We found the Council at fault as the school delayed in putting in place some of the provision in section F of Y’s Education, Health and Care Plan. This made it harder for Y to settle into his school and disadvantaged him. The delay also caused distress to Dr X. The Council will remedy this injustice as recommended.

    Service improvements

    Share the learning from this complaint with the school which is that the provision set out in section F should be made from the date of a pupil’s final Education, Health and Care Plan or from the date they start at the school (if later).

  • Essex County Council (24 010 899)

    Category: Education Date: 11-May-2025

    Summary

    Miss X complained about the delay in her son’s (Y) Education Health and Care needs assessment and the Council’s failure to communicate with her. We found fault with the Council. This fault caused injustice to Y and Miss X as there has been uncertainty about the educational support Y needs. Miss X was distressed by the lack of communication from the Council. The Council agreed to apologise, make symbolic payments for the delay and distress and introduce a system of regular communication for the parents and young people waiting for the assessments.

    Service improvements

    The Council will introduce a system of regular updates for parents and young people waiting for EHC needs assessments. The Council will decide on their frequency and content. The Council will provide the evidence that this has happened.

  • Essex County Council (24 009 890)

    Category: Education Date: 13-Jul-2025

    Summary

    Miss X complained about a lack of services provided to her daughter, Y, from a local provider, Council and Integrated Care Board. We found fault with the Council which caused Miss X and her daughter frustration and a loss of opportunities. The Council agreed to our recommendations to remedy this situation.

    Service improvements

    By 15 October 2025 the Council should outline what improvements Provide Children and Family Services has made to improve the provision of equipment to children with special educational needs.The Council should outline what improvements Provide has made or will make to its orthotics and occupational therapy services to prevent a shortfall in service that occurred in this case. The Council should outline how it will monitor the above improvements on a regular basis.

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