Case Ref: 22 010 406 Category: Other Categories Sub Category: Other

• The Council will remind staff:Of the Council's duty to make reasonable adjustments to a disabled person who would otherwise be placed at a disadvantage in accessing the Council's services.Where the Council does not consider a request to be reasonable, the Council should keep records showing clear consideration for how and why it made its decision.The Council should write to individuals to outline its decision, and reasons, on whether it agrees to the requested adjustments.

Case Ref: 22 002 689 Category: Planning Sub Category: Planning applications

• The Council will issue clear guidance to staff on the approach it expects them to take when a certificate accompanying a planning application is effectively challenged due to land ownership claims which must involve a degree of scrutiny and decision making by the Council and include keeping an audit trail of the same.
• The Council will review its complaint procedure to ensure complainants receive a timely response at each stage and are kept informed when this is not possible.

Case Ref: 22 002 110 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Assessment and care plan

• The Council made a commitment to the representative, who is the mother of the complainant who lacks capacity to make decisions in her own interest, that it would move the complainant to a care home nearer the family home when one became available. It should not have made this commitment as there would have to be a best interests decision before any move could occur. The Council has agreed to inform all staff that they should not make similar commitments in future.

Case Ref: 21 018 286 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Other

• The Council will provide its staff dealing with the Children's Services complaint with the training on the statutory children's complaint procedure. The Council will send us a signed statement from the relevant members of staff with the confirmation they have reviewed the Council's 'Children's representations and complaints policy'.

Case Ref: 21 018 241 Category: Education Sub Category: School transport

• The Council will ensure individual assessments are made at the time a home to school transport application is considered to identify the particular transport requirements of individual pupils and to review assessments when new evidence is received.

Case Ref: 21 016 734 Category: Benefits and tax Sub Category: Local welfare payments

• The Council has agreed to amend the template Record of Operational Decision form, and other similar forms, to include a question prompting officers to consider whether there are any equality implications from their decisions and justify these where identified.
• The Council has agreed to remind relevant staff that records should contain enough detail to show the decision making process.

Case Ref: 21 015 474 Category: Education Sub Category: School transport

• The Council will ensure Clerk’s notes and decision letters provide sufficient detail to meet the home to school transport statutory guidance.

Case Ref: 21 013 157 Category: Education Sub Category: School transport

• In future the Council will email invitation letters to appellants in addition to posting these to try to avoid difficulties where post may not be delivered; remind panels they should consider their powers to agree discretionary provision of transport when the eligibility criteria as detailed are not met; and remind panels of the need to fully demonstrate that they have thoroughly considered the grounds for appeals and the evidence provided when reaching decisions.

Case Ref: 21 008 960 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• •by training or other means remind staff of the importance of issuing review request outcomes and responding to applicants’ queries in a timely manner.

Case Ref: 21 004 629 Category: Education Sub Category: School transport

• include reference to its discretionary powers under s.2(1)(c)Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970 to its school transport policy
• remind relevant staff (including independent review panel members) of the Council's discretionary powers under s.2(1)(c) Chronically Sick and Disabled Persons Act 1970