Service improvements

Kent County Council

Showing service improvements between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024

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 21 - 30 of 37 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 (22 014 793)

    Category: Education Date: 13-Dec-2023

    Summary

    The complainant (Mrs X) complained about the Council’s failing to consider her Personal Budget request, to deliver full-time education and special educational provision to Y and to comply with the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Tribunal decision. Mrs X said the Council failed to include her son’s (Y) views and to list all professional reports in Y’s Education Health and Care (EHC) plan issued in September 2022. We found fault in some areas of Mrs X’s complaint, including delivery of education and special educational provision, the Personal Budget process, communication and complaint handling. The Council agreed to apologise, make payments, consider Mrs X’s Personal Budget request and prepare a plan of action for Y’s educational support. The Council also agreed to provide us with the evidence of making service improvements in line with its Accelerated Progress Plan.

    Service improvements

    The Council will provide us with the details of any steps undertaken to ensure better communication with parents as stipulated in the Council's Accelerated Progress Plan.The Council will review the way it handles Personal Budget requests to ensure that:a) when requesting Personal Budget parents/young people are provided with the advice on:1. Provision for which a Personal Budget may be available;2. Details of the organisations that provide advice and assistance on Personal Budgets;3. Conditions which must be met before direct payments may be made;4. Right to ask for a review of the decision refusing direct payments.b) Personal Budget requests are considered within reasonable timescales. The Council will provide the evidence that this has happened.

  • Kent County Council (22 014 771)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 17-Oct-2023

    Summary

    The Council’s stated process for care needs and financial assessments appears to be in accordance with The Care Act 2014 but in practice 87% of cases do not follow this process. Failure to provide a personal budget as part of the care and support plan and before services are provided, is fault. The Council should review its processes to ensure cases are assessed in accordance with the Care Act requirements.

    Service improvements

    Review the care and financial assessment processes to enable the financial assessment to be completed prior to a care package starting.

  • Kent County Council (22 014 492)

    Category: Education Date: 31-May-2023

    Summary

    The complainant, Miss X, complained that the Council has failed to amend her son’s Education, Health and Care Plan after the 2022 review; failed to update her after a previous 2021 review; failed to respond to her complaint and other correspondence and delayed providing a personal transport budget. We find the Council at fault. This caused her and her son significant stress. To address the injustice caused by fault, we recommend several remedies.

    Service improvements

    Issue written reminders to relevant staff to ensure they are aware of:The Council’s duty to decide whether to keep, cease or amend the EHC plan within four weeks of the review meeting, and to notify the parents in writing and include what the proposed changes are. The Council’s duty to issue an amended plan as quickly as possible and within eight weeks ofthe original amendment notice. The Council’s complaints policy which states the Council will acknowledge complaints within three working days and will provide a response within 20 working days at stage one. Where this is not possible, it will inform complainants at the earliest opportunity.Provide us with evidene of the Councils recent implementation of the SEND structure

  • Kent County Council (22 013 815)

    Category: Education Date: 20-Jul-2023

    Summary

    the Council failed to ensure G received a suitable education when she was too ill to attend school. The Council took too long to issue her Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan and delayed arranging the provision. I have recommended a remedy for the injustice this caused.

    Service improvements

    The Council will develop an action plan to address what appear to be systemic problems with the Council’s response to children out of education for health reasons. The Council will involve the relevant scrutiny committee to review progress and ensure that improvements are embedded.

  • Kent County Council (22 011 911)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 23-Aug-2023

    Summary

    Mrs Y complained on behalf of her late sister, Mrs X, that the Council unnecessarily decided to store Mrs X’s unwanted belongings when she went into residential care, resulting in substantial storage charges. The Council was at fault for not consulting Mrs Y about its decision and for not carrying out a best interests assessment.

    Service improvements

    The Council agreed to carry out refresher training for staff around protection of property.The Council agreed to remind staff about the importance of clear communication and involving family members at relevant times regarding protection of property.

  • Kent County Council (22 011 633)

    Category: Education Date: 15-Nov-2023

    Summary

    Mrs B complained that the Council delayed in completing an Education, Health and Care (EHC) assessment and issuing an EHC plan for her daughter C. It also failed to provide suitable alternative education while she was unable to attend school, communicated poorly with Mrs B and delayed excessively in responding to her complaint. We found fault causing injustice. We have asked the Council to apologise to Mrs B, make a financial payment and improve its procedures for the future.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to ensure the draft alternative provision policy is approved and implemented.The Council has agreed as part of that process, to ensure training is provided to staff on the new policy with particular emphasis on the correct application of the section 19 duty.

  • Kent County Council (22 011 323)

    Category: Education Date: 16-Nov-2023

    Summary

    The Council was at fault for delaying in completing a child’s Education, Health and Care plan, not putting in place adequate special educational provision and for failures in complaint handling. This caused injustice as if there had not been delays the child would have received the special educational provision they were entitled to receive much sooner. To remedy the injustice caused the Council agreed to apologise, make a payment for the loss of provision to the child and consider what changes it could make to its procedures around communication.

    Service improvements

    Consider what changes it can make to its communication process as outlined in its final complaint response and report back to the Ombudsman to what specific measures it will put in place.

  • Kent County Council (22 010 884)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 19-Apr-2023

    Summary

    Mrs X complained on behalf of her son, Mr Y. She complained the Council has not considered all Mr X’s disability related expenditure (DRE). Mrs X also complained about the lack of clear information available to her, poor communication and delays from the Council. She says this caused distress and anxiety and Mr Y has paid more for his care than he should have. There was fault in the way the Council considered disability related expenditure, did not provide clear information and there were delays in this case. Mrs X and Mr Y suffered from the uncertainty about the financial contributions to Mr Y’s care and Mrs X was put to time and trouble to complain. The Council should apologise to Mrs X and Mr Y, pay Mrs X £200 to acknowledge the time and trouble she has been put to, reassess Mr Y’s disability related expenditure and remind its staff to consider each case individually.

    Service improvements

    Remind staff of the Council’s responsibility to consider each complaint individually and not provide standard responses.Provide evidence the Council has delivered the training on financial and Disability Related Expenditure assessments.

  • Kent County Council (22 010 831)

    Category: Education Date: 03-Apr-2023

    Summary

    Mr X complained the Council have failed to ensure his son received the occupational therapy support set out in his Education, Health and Care plan. He also said the Council failed to provide his son with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. We find the Council was at fault. This had a significant impact on Mr X’s son’s transition to college and caused Mr X significant stress. To address the injustice caused by fault, the Council has agreed to several recommendations.

    Service improvements

    Issue written reminders to relevant staff to ensure they are aware of the Councils duties to:secure the specified special educational provision in an EHC plan for the child or young person.

  • Kent County Council (22 010 159)

    Category: Education Date: 11-Apr-2023

    Summary

    Ms X complained the Council failed to provide her daughter, Y, with transition arrangements for post 16 education. Ms X also complained the Council delayed identifying Y an education placement and delayed issuing her Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) paperwork. Ms X says this has caused Y distress and anxiety and she is out of education. The Council did not provide a transition, has not provided education and delayed in the EHCP process. Ms X has suffered distress and Y has missed out on education. The Council has agreed to apologise to Ms X and Y for its fault, make a financial payment and provide guidance to its staff to confirm its statutory duties.

    Service improvements

    The Council should develop an action plan to indicate how it intends to address ongoing delays and issues with EHCP annual reviews. This report should be taken to the relevant committee for democratic oversight and scrutiny.

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