Service improvements

Kirklees Metropolitan Borough 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 1 - 8 of 8 cases with service improvements

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Downloads the current filtered list of service improvement decisions for Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council as a CSV file.

  • Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council (23 013 093)

    Category: Housing Date: 13-Mar-2024

    Summary

    Miss X complains that the Council failed to accept a homelessness application when she was experiencing domestic abuse from her former partner. The Council is at fault as it failed to accept a homelessness application from Miss X and it delayed in increasing her priority band to band B. Miss X was caused distress and uncertainty by these faults. The Council has agreed to remedy this injustice by apologising to Miss X and making a symbolic payment of £300.

    Service improvements

    By training or other means, share the learning from this complaint, the requirements of chapter 21 of the Homelessness Code of Guidance and Improving Access to Social Housing for Victims of Domestic Abuse guidance with officers to ensure they are aware of how to appropriately deal with homelessness and housing register applicants at risk of domestic abuse.By training or other means, reminds officers to notify applicants of their right to seek a review of their priority band.

  • Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council (23 009 454)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 26-Mar-2024

    Summary

    Ms C complains the Council placed her mother in law, Mrs D in a care home rated “inadequate” by the Care Quality Commission where she went onto receive poor care. The Council is not at fault for the lack of choice in the care home; however the care home failed to properly assess Mrs D and its records are incomplete. To remedy the complaint the Council has agreed to apologise to Mrs D and Ms C and make symbolic payments to acknowledge the uncertainty caused by these failures. Through its commissioning role it will also review the care home’s record keeping, falls policy and how staff are trained to support people with communication needs.

    Service improvements

    Through the Council’s commissioning team it should ensure the Care Provider’s staff are reminded either through team meetings or a staff circular, and if necessary, provide staff training about:a) the importance of recording clear contemporaneous records;b) completing body maps, assessments, and support plans when people enter the service;c) the importance of providing person centred care when people have communication difficulties.Through the Council’s commissioning team it will ensure the Care Provider’s falls policy has sufficient detail and staff are trained about what a physical examination should entail after a person has a fall.Through the Council’s commissioning team it will ensure the Care Provider has a communication policy and that staff are trained on this policy.

  • Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council (23 004 095)

    Category: Planning Date: 08-Feb-2024

    Summary

    Mr X complained the Council failed to take action against unauthorised development and use of neighbouring land. There was fault causing injustice due to the Council’s delays and lack of proper oversight of the enforcement investigations.

    Service improvements

    The Council will review its case management processes for its planning enforcement services, ensuring it has sufficient alerts after periods of inactivity, and sufficient management oversight of case progression.

  • Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council (23 002 450)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 31-Jan-2024

    Summary

    Ms X complains about poor care provided to her father, Mr Y, whilst at a Council commissioned care home. We have found fault by the Council causing an injustice to Ms X. The Council has already produced an action plan to address the faults identified in this statement. The Council has agreed to apologise and make a symbolic payment for the distress caused to Ms X.

    Service improvements

    The Council will send the Ombudsman evidence of its progress with the action plan.

  • Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council (23 001 559)

    Category: Children's care services Date: 30-Nov-2023

    Summary

    Mr X complains about the way the Council considered his complaint under the statutory complaint procedure. He complained the Council failed to support contact arrangements with his son and said he had been victimised. We have found no fault in the way the Council considered his complaint. However, we have found there were delays in the complaint process and the Council’s review of contact arrangements. The Council has agreed to apologise, make a symbolic payment and service improvements for the injustice caused to Mr X.

    Service improvements

    The Council will remind relevant staff of the need to complete the children's statutory complaints procedure within the statutory timescales.

  • Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council (22 013 470)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 10-May-2023

    Summary

    Mrs X complained that the Council has failed to provide her mother with additional care hours during the week and failed to provide a sit in service at the weekend. We find the Council was at fault for failing to complete a carer’s assessment. This caused significant stress to Mrs X. We make several recommendations to address this injustice caused by fault.

    Service improvements

    Issue reminders to relevant staff to ensure they are aware of: The statutory guidance which says where somebody provides or intends to provide care for another adult and it appears the carer may have any needs for support, the council must carry out a carer’s assessment. A carer’s assessment must seek to find out not only the carer’s needs for support, but also the sustainability of the caring role itself. This includes the practical and emotional support the carer provides to the adult.

  • Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council (22 011 614)

    Category: Education Date: 19-Apr-2023

    Summary

    Mrs C complained how the Council has considered her application for delayed entry to reception for her summer born daughter. She says the Council has failed to properly understand the guidance and has applied the wrong tests. We find fault with the Council’s decision making. The Council has agreed to our recommendations to address the injustice caused by fault.

    Service improvements

    The Council will send written reminders to panel members and relevant officers to ensure they must adhere to the requirements set out in the Code and the guidance when determining applications for summer-born children to be educated outside of their normal age group.

  • Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council (22 006 285)

    Category: Education Date: 13-Apr-2023

    Summary

    Mr and Mrs X complain about the Council’s handling of their child, Child Y’s Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) since they asked for an urgent review of this in July 2019. The Council was at fault for not providing appropriate alternative education to Child Y from October 2019 to July 2020. The Council unnecessarily delayed its review of Child Y’s EHCP which in turn delayed Mr and Mrs X’s appeal rights. The Council also took too long to respond to Mr and Mrs X’s complaints. The Council has agreed to apologise and make payments to Child Y and their parents. The Council will also review its systems for monitoring complaint response timeliness.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to review its procedures to ensure it considers its section 19/alternative education provision duty as soon as a child is reported absent from school for 15 days and seeks professional opinion on the amount and type of alternative education the child can cope with while out of school, to best meet their needs.The Council has agreed to review its systems for monitoring complaints to ensure it better tracks their progress, the timeliness of responses and provides regular progress updates to complainants when responses are delayed.

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