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

Case Ref: 21 011 650 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Friends and family carers

• The Council will review its processes to ensure email inboxes and voice messages can be checked when officers are absent.