Service improvements

Kent County Council

Showing service improvements between 1 April 2018 and 31 March 2019

Find out more about service improvements

When we find fault, we can recommend improvements to systems and processes where they haven’t worked properly, so that others do not suffer from these same problems in future. Common examples are policy changes; procedural reviews; and staff training. Service improvements from decisions are published for 5 years and those from reports are published for 10 years.

Showing 1 - 8 of 8 cases with service improvements

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Downloads the current filtered list of service improvement decisions for Kent County Council as a CSV file.

  • Kent County Council (25 014 482)

    Category: Education Date: 05-Jul-2026

    Summary

    Miss X complained the Council delayed providing her son with suitable home to school transport. We find the Council was at fault for its delay in providing Miss X’s son with suitable transport. This caused Miss X frustration and upset, and her son missed education and specialist provision. The Council has agreed to make a payment to Miss X and implement a service improvement.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to issue written reminders to relevant staff to ensure they ensure they fully review the details in a transport application, including whether a passenger assistant is requested or a child needs specialist equipment. Staff should also ensure they write to parents in a timely manner about the agreed transport arrangements.

  • Kent County Council (25 012 016)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 01-Jun-2026

    Summary

    Mrs C complained about the care her father, Mr D received at the end of his life in a Council-funded care home. We have found fault with the Care Provider. In addition to the action already taken to improve the Care Provider’s procedures, the Council has agreed to apologise to Mrs C, make a symbolic payment and ensure the Care Provider notifies the Council in future of complaints made about the care provided to Council-funded residents.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to ensure that the Care Provider reviews its complaints policy to include a requirement to notify the Council about complaints it has received about the standard of care given to a council-funded resident and the complaint outcome including any recommendations for improvements.

  • Kent County Council (25 010 710)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 11-May-2026

    Summary

    The Council was at fault for reducing Ms Y’s care package without carrying out a proper and up-to-date reassessment of her needs. It failed to adequately assess and evidence her night-time support needs, did not complete a clear risk assessment, and made its decision while key uncertainties remained.

    Service improvements

    The Council agreed to review its competency andtraining framework for staff overseeing care act assessments and reviews within18 months. The Council will also circulate a staff briefing sharing thespecific learning from this investigation.

  • Kent County Council (25 009 816)

    Category: Education Date: 18-Jun-2026

    Summary

    The Council failed to provide Mrs X’s child Y with an education or the provision outlined in their Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan package for two academic years between September 2024 and July 2026. The Council agreed to apologise and make a payment to acknowledge the impact this had on Y’s education and the injustice caused to Mrs X. It also agreed to take action to prevent similar faults in the future.

    Service improvements

    The Council have agreed to create and provide us with an action plan showing how they will ensure they has sufficient processes and commissioning arrangements in place for tutors and therapists to deliver Education Other Than at School (EOTAS) packages in a timely manner. The action plan should include timebound actions and should take no longer than three months to complete.

  • Kent County Council (25 008 092)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 06-May-2026

    Summary

    There was fault by the Council as it delayed completing social care assessments, care and support plans and in determining the dates Mrs X’s parents’ savings fell to the threshold for council funding for social care and support. This caused avoidable distress and confusion. The Council has made retrospective payments which is a partial remedy. It will also take the following action: issue a written apology, make a symbolic payment to Mrs X, review her parents’ financial assessments and review case allocation, assessment and care planning procedures.

    Service improvements

    The Council will remind staff in the adult social care team that the Council has the power to fund live-in care and staff should not tell members of the public the opposite.The Council will review procedures for case allocation, assessment and care and support planning. Revised procedures will set out timescales for completion and an escalation procedure for non-compliance so all staff are clear about expectations and legal requirements.

  • Kent County Council (25 007 520)

    Category: Children's care services Date: 10-May-2026

    Summary

    Miss X complained the Council wrongly refused her child Y’s application for a Blue Badge. There was fault in the Council’s record keeping. This caused undue distress to Miss X. The Council has agreed recommended actions to remedy the injustice caused.

    Service improvements

    Produce an action plan to improve how it records decisions where reasonable adjustments are requested in Blue Badge assessments. The plan should set out how the Council will ensure officers record the options considered, the reasons for their decision, and how this is communicated to applicants, and how it will monitor compliance.

  • Kent County Council (25 000 441)

    Category: Education Date: 27-Apr-2026

    Summary

    Mrs W complained on behalf of her son Mr X that the Council failed to follow its legal duties when his Education, Health and Care Plan was transferred to it, did not respond to requests for mediation and a new needs assessment, and gave inadequate responses to her requests for contact and complaints. We find the Council at fault for failing to follow its duties regarding the Education, Health and Care Plan and for poor communication and complaint handling. This caused significant injustice of distress, uncertainty, and missed educational provision. The Council agreed to apologise, make a symbolic payment, review the plan and make service improvements to remedy the injustice.

    Service improvements

    The Council was at fault in the way it dealt with the transfer of an Education, Health and Care Plan from another council. It agreed to issue written guidance to all relevant caseworkers to ensure they understand the Council’s duties, as laid out in the statutory Code of Practice, when an Education, Health and Care Plan is transferred to it.

  • Kent County Council (24 019 314)

    Category: Education Date: 13-Apr-2026

    Summary

    The Council failed to follow the timescales in the code of practice following an annual review of an education, health and care plan, failed to put in place provision in section F and delayed responding to a complaint. That delayed Mrs X’s appeal rights, caused her distress and led to her son missing out on special educational needs provision. An apology, payment to Mrs X and introduction of a process for monitoring complaint responses is satisfactory remedy.

    Service improvements

    The Council will provide evidence to the Ombudsman to show how it intends to monitor complaints to ensure they are responded to within the Council’s published timescales.

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