Case Ref: 23 001 306 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• Report to us on the review of its commissioning of alternative education providers so that pupils out of school can receive the same education as their peers in school. It told us in response to another complaint it has already started this;
• Provide us with a further overview of how it considers its improvements are working in practice in respect of preventing delays in issuing EHC Plans after annual reviews. This should also include an update on the progress made since the overview it provided to us earlier this year in response to another complaint; and
• Provide us with an update about the extra resources it told Mr X it was continuing to invest in its SEN service to increase the number of caseworkers and training.

Case Ref: 22 017 357 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Domiciliary care

• The Council has agreed to remind appropriate adult social care staff that when repeated concerns are raised it may be appropriate to treat the concerns as a formal complaint and to respond accordingly.

Case Ref: 22 016 810 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• the Council should:consider what guidance it can provide to parents/carers about allowances and claims for expenses for sundries/resources and the items this term is intended to cover; andtell us what changes it has made or proposes to make.

Case Ref: 22 016 738 Category: Education Sub Category: School transport

• The Council will remind staff that concerns about what school transport the Council has awarded a child should be heard through the transport appeal process, even if they have been submitted as a complaint.

Case Ref: 22 016 271 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• the Council will review its commissioning of alternative education providers;
• the Council will review its commissioning of occupational therapists and speech and language therapists.

Case Ref: 22 014 060 Category: Education Sub Category: School transport

• The Council will write to relevant Special Educational Needs transport officers and complaint handling officers and remind them that, when the Council has failed to provide transport to an eligible child and the parent does not take the child to school, the parent has a defence in law and would not have failed to provide a suitable education. It should remind the officers it is therefore the Council’s duty to provide the agreed transport or arrange a suitable alternative.
• The Council will review its education transport policy and consider how it will arrange transport for eligible children when an escort is unavailable. The Council will consider its duty to provide the assessed transport, a parent’s defence in law if the transport is not provided and the parent does not take the child to school, and the Council’s duty to deliver the content of a child’s Education, Health, and Care plan if no transport can be arranged. It should update its policy and website to reflect the changes.

Case Ref: 22 013 982 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Domiciliary care

• The Council has agreed to remind appropriate adult social care staff that when repeated concerns are raised it may be appropriate to treat the concerns as a formal complaint and to respond accordingly.

Case Ref: 22 012 027 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Friends and family carers

• the Council will:consult the complainant about the future of the Council's post special guardianship order (SGO) support team when deciding on its future, and consider whether this team should also provide advice and support to prospective special guardians before the making of a SGO;
• the Council will:provide the Ombudsman with an update on its production of written leaflets/website content, which provides information to prospective special guardians so that they can make informed decisions about whether they can take on the long-term care of a relative's child;
• the Council will:provide an update to the Ombudsman on how the Council is ensuring that social workers and managers are fully aware of the SGO entitlements and processes;
• If a special guardian, who was once a foster carer, complains to the Council as a result of sight of our final statement, the Council will consider the complaint in line with our findings and recommendations in this case, thereby possibly preventing a complaint to the Ombudsman. This approach also applies to complaints about the delays in applying for funding from the Adoption Support Fund.

Case Ref: 22 010 897 Category: Education Sub Category: School transport

• The Council will amend its school transport policy to state that school transport appeal stage one decision letters will include information about other departments or agencies the decision maker consulted and what was taken into account in coming to the decision.
• The Council will demonstrate it has amended its template decision letters on stage one school transport appeals to include a prompt for the decision-maker to reference what other departments and agencies they consulted as part of the appeal.
• The Council will update its website to give information about school transport appeals. The information will be held within an easily identified webpage and not solely included in an attachment for download.

Case Ref: 22 010 787 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Assessment and care plan

• The Council will share the Ombudsman’s “Guidance on Effective Complaint Handling”with relevant officers.