Case Ref: 25 004 337 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council has agreed to provide an updated report on its progress in improving annual review decision-making and issuing amended Plans within statutory timescales. This update should include: current performance data on issuing amendment notices and final amended EHC Plans within the 12-week timescale;actions taken since its previous update to the Ombudsman in May 2025; andprogress against the Council’s stated target to meet statutory decision-making timescales for at least 80% of annual reviews by April 2026.

Case Ref: 24 021 641 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Child protection

• The Council will review its ‘Managing Allegations Against Adults who work with Children and Young People’ to ensure it allows for clearly defined roles, responsibilities and timescales to be set to keep a person, who is subject to a LADO investigation updated. This is to include how it will monitor any actions after a decision to ensure they are completed within the timeframes set out in its own policies and procedures.

Case Ref: 24 013 889 Category: Education Sub Category: School transport

• The Council will revise it post-16 transport policy to reflect paragraph 37 of the statutory guidance ‘Post 16 transport and travel support to education and training’ January 2019, which says it is good practice not to charge a contribution for transport for a young person assessed under the sixth form age duty if it is likely they will be eligible for free transport under the adult transport duty. The Council will provide training/guidance to those staff responsible for deciding post-16 transport applications, highlighting this change to its policy.
• The Council will provide a memo to staff responsible for deciding post-16 transport support applications reminding them to give clear evidence based decisions on applications which demonstrate the young person’s individual circumstances have been considered.

Case Ref: 24 011 585 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council will remind staff that before it decides that a child is not out of education because of poor health, it should seek information about the child's medical needs.

Case Ref: 24 010 715 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council will provide the Ombudsman with evidence it has addressed the following matters with staff:the importance of ensuring provision and personal budgets are both arranged and processed in a timely manner, adhering to its customer service standards; andthe importance of effectively communicating with parents.

Case Ref: 24 007 910 Category: Education Sub Category: Alternative provision

• Issue a reminder to all relevant staff regarding the duty to provide education when children are unable to attend school due to illness

Case Ref: 24 007 412 Category: Education Sub Category: Other

• The Council will remind relevant staff dealing with reports of domestic abuse of the need to check whether an alleged perpetrator lives at the same address as the domestic abuse victim or whether there are other circumstances that indicate a letter should not be sent to the victim's home address.

Case Ref: 24 007 073 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council will remind relevant staff about the importance of responding to communication in a timely manner; and remind relevant staff of its duty to quickly investigate and act on complaints or concerns raised that the provision is not in place at any time.

Case Ref: 24 006 445 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• • Share this decision with the relevant staff and advise the SEND QA Board• Issue a bulletin to relevant staff, reminding them of the process of saving records and the importance of doing so, across the service.

Case Ref: 24 004 447 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• 2. Within three months of the final decision the Council will:a) provide an update about the steps taken in reminding staff and having a plan about the need for annual EHC plan reviews and the process staff need to take following a review;
• 2. Within three months of the final decision the Council will:b) provide evidence of the monitoring plan for EHC plan reviews the Council has put into place and its implementation.