Case Ref: 23 013 093 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• 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.

Case Ref: 23 009 454 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Residential care

• 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.

Case Ref: 23 004 095 Category: Planning Sub Category: Enforcement

• 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.

Case Ref: 23 002 450 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Residential care

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

Case Ref: 23 001 559 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Child protection

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

Case Ref: 22 013 470 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Assessment and care plan

• 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.

Case Ref: 22 011 614 Category: Education Sub Category: School admissions

• 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.

Case Ref: 22 006 285 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• 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.

Case Ref: 22 003 031 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council agreed to remind its special educational needs staff of the importance of ensuring children and young people receive a suitable education while consulting with longer-term school placements.
• The Council agreed to review its approach to reviewing EHC plans following the breakdown of school places to ensure it properly considers whether to hold an early review or whether to arrange a full reassessment.
• The Council agreed to review how it monitors compliance with the statutory timescales for reviewing and issuing EHC plans follow to ensure it identifies and takes appropriate action where cases are taking longer than allowed under the rules.
• The Council agreed to share this decision with all staff in its special educational needs team with the appropriate senior officer and Council member responsible for the Council’s education services.

Case Ref: 21 017 692 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Charging

• The Council will remind officers that they must address the issue of motivation when considering deprivation of assets cases.