Case Ref: 22 008 423 Category: Housing Sub Category: Other

• The Council will send a memo to officers dealing with complaints to remind them if a person raises concerns about how a decision that affects them has been reached it can be dealt with under the complaints procedure for those matters where there is no right of appeal.

Case Ref: 22 002 967 Category: Benefits and tax Sub Category: Council tax support

• a)produce clear guidance to staff on how and when to consider whether they need to make any reasonable adjustments for service users. This should include, for example, asking the service user if the Council needs to make any adjustments in the way it communicates with them to ensure the complainant can fully access its service. This guidance should be clearly embedded in the Council’s guidance on handling complaints and its procedure on benefit claims; b)share this decision with relevant staff members; and c)provide the Ombudsman with evidence that these actions have been completed.

Case Ref: 21 002 213 Category: Environment and regulation Sub Category: Antisocial behaviour

• The Council agreed to share this decision with its officers dealing with high hedge complaints to emphasise the Council’s requirement to promptly acknowledge appeal requests when made by members of the public.
• The Council will review its high hedge policy and/or procedure to ensure that complainants are informed of the progress of their case and to see if it can improve the process to make sure it completes the complaints promptly.

Case Ref: 20 005 014 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Disabled facilities grants

• The Council will also ensure any agreed schedule of works is implemented without delay and take timely action to prevent any ongoing injustice, and review its working practices setting out the roles and responsibilities of each party in the DFG process.