Case Ref: 22 010 019 Category: Other Categories Sub Category: Leisure and culture

• The Council will remind officers about its Access scheme, for people attending its theatre with their carers, and will remind officers of the need to make eligible people aware of the scheme at the point of booking.
• The Council will update the information published on its website about its Access scheme, for those attending theatre performances with their carers, so details can be more easily located by eligible individuals.
• The Council will carry out equality impact assessments on the concessionary schemes it operates for its theatre services, to ensure it has fully considered the impact of the schemes for those using them.

Case Ref: 22 005 755 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Other

• The Council will remind its staff that mediation is not an alternative route for considering complaints that come under the remit of the children's statutory complaints procedure.

Case Ref: 22 002 651 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Charging

• The Council has agreed to provide evidence it has taken action to prevent delays in collecting charges and to ensure that full costs payers are told if their charges are likely to fluctuate and could be higher than their assessed charge.

Case Ref: 22 002 632 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Charging

• •Remind relevant officers of the requirement to carry out a yearly review of direct payments and ensure that a yearly review is carried out.

Case Ref: 22 002 448 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Other

• The Council has agreed to remind relevant staff of the circumstances in which a complaint should be considered at stage two of the complaints process, including where the complainant points out parts of the complaint not considered at stage one.

Case Ref: 22 001 202 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Charging

• The Council should review its procedures to ensure the fault which caused the delay in the financial assessment does not recur.

Case Ref: 21 006 452 Category: Education Sub Category: Alternative provision

• The Council will review its processes to ensure that following an annual review it either provides a decision on whether to cease, maintain or amend an Education Health and Care plan within statutory timescales, or provdies a decision within 15 days on whether it will carry out a reassessment of the child's needs.
• The Council will review its processes to ensure it identifies at an early stage what reports will be needed for an Education Health and care assessment or reassessment.
• The Council will review its approach to arranging alternative education to ensure it either provides a full-time alternative education or clearly records its reasons for deciding a part-time provision will be a suitable education for the child.
• The Council has prepared a draft protocol to address delays in obtaining health advice for Education Health and Care assessments. It will issue a final draft protocol within nine months and work towards full adoption within twelve months.

Case Ref: 21 010 343 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Domiciliary care

• The Council has agreed to provide evidence of policy/service improvements/staff training to the Local Government Ombudsman.

Case Ref: 21 006 484 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council agreed to provide training to the relevant officers on the Council’s duties towards post-19 learners with special educational needs or disabilities. This should ensure that: when relevant young adults start a new educational course post-19 years of age, any decisions about whether transport support is necessary to access that education are made, where possible, before the start of the course; there are clear procedures detailing the roles and responsibilities of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Team and Adult Social Care in relation to post-19 learners; and both departments understand how and when to escalate cases which involve disputes about areas of responsibility.

Case Ref: 21 005 838 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Fostering

• The Council has agreed to provide evidence of learning and service improvements it has made to date regarding how to handle cases involving an abuse allegation against a foster carer.
• The Council has agreed to demonstrate that it has considered whether its own Managing Allegations policy should set out typical timescales for investigations into allegations of abuse, as we note it does not currently.
• The Council has agreed to demonstrate that it has reminded staff, through appropriate training, of: the importance of communication with foster carers and timely investigations when an allegation has been raised; the criteria for Local Authority Designated Officer involvement during investigations into allegations of abuse; the importance during meetings of ensuring that a plan for who will interview the child about the allegation is in place, with clear deadlines; the role the foster carers’ Fostering Social Worker has during the process, especially regarding emotional support, attending meetings and collection of evidence; and the Council’s obligations to provide its foster carers with an up-to-date history of their potential foster children prior to placement.