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 1 - 4 of 4 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 (24 013 546)

    Category: Transport and highways Date: 07-Mar-2025

    Summary

    Miss X complained about the Council’s delay repairing the footpath outside her home and about the Council’s handling of her complaint. While its approach to the footpath repair was not fault, we find the Council at fault for failing to make reasonable adjustments when responding to Miss X’s complaint. This caused her avoidable difficulty understanding the response. The Council has agreed to apologise and make a service improvement.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to using this complaint as a case study, issue a briefing note to remind staff of its duty to provide reasonable adjustments.

  • Essex County Council (24 004 237)

    Category: Transport and highways Date: 30-Jan-2025

    Summary

    Mr X complains the Council failed to resolve drainage and disrepair issues on the road and pavement outside his house and this caused him distress. There was fault by the Council which caused avoidable distress, time, and trouble to Mr X. The Council agreed to apologise and pay a financial remedy. It will also share a copy of our final decision and issue reminders to relevant staff.

    Service improvements

    The Council agreed to share a copy of our final decision with relevant staff. It should remind them about the importance of:properly considering the Council’s range of powers to resolve highway issues, and fully recording these considerations; fully recording risk assessment and prioritisation for highway defects in line with the Council’s policies; andproperly responding to people who report highway issues and complaints to ensure the Council’s position is clear.

  • Essex County Council (23 020 617)

    Category: Transport and highways Date: 22-Sep-2024

    Summary

    Mrs X complained the Council failed to take timely action in response to her reports about items on grass highway verges causing obstruction. We found fault by the Council but consider the agreed action of an apology, symbolic payment and further contact with Mrs X provides a suitable remedy.

    Service improvements

    The Council will issue a reminder to relevant officers that reports of highways obstructions should receive a timely response with any necessary explanation about the Council’s priorities and that complaints should be dealt with in accordance with the Council’s complaints procedure.

  • 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.

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