Case Ref: 23 012 821 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• 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.

Case Ref: 23 012 654 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Other

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

Case Ref: 23 012 445 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Charging

• 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.

Case Ref: 23 010 280 Category: Education Sub Category: Alternative provision

• 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.

Case Ref: 23 010 177 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

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

Case Ref: 23 009 675 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• 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.

Case Ref: 23 008 542 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• 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.

Case Ref: 23 011 983 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council will review whether staffing changes have improved service delivery times, including regarding the handling of complaints and compliance with EHC Plan annual review timescales.

Case Ref: 23 010 114 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council will remind staff completing annual reviews that final amended Education, Health and Care Plans must be issued within 12 weeks of the annual review meeting.
• The Council will provide relevant staff with written guidance on the Council’s non-delegable responsibilities under Section 42 Children and Families Act, and what action staff should take when they become aware a child or young person is not receiving the provision in their Education, Health and Care Plan.

Case Ref: 23 009 545 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Domiciliary care

• The Council agreed to remind care providers which it uses to provide home care about the process they should follow when someone requires an urgent change to their care. This could be through a provider bulletin or similar, if the Council publishes such a bulletin.