Case Ref: 24 010 616 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council has agreed to provide relevant officers with training on chapters 6 and 18 of the Homelessness Code of Guidance. This guidance sets out how authorities should consider whether it is reasonable for an individual to continue to occupy their existing accommodation. This guidance also sets out the need to issue written decisions about an applicant's homelessness, explaining the reasons for adverse decisions.

Case Ref: 24 007 590 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council will remind officers they should keep suitable records of how they come to a decision on whether the Council should arrange alternative provision for a child. The records should show the Council considered all the relevant evidence before coming to its decision.

Case Ref: 24 004 918 Category: Education Sub Category: School admissions

• The Council will consider amending its school admissions system to record the dates of any changes to the pupils’ addresses. The Council should provide us with evidence it has done so.

Case Ref: 24 003 573 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Domiciliary care

• The Council has agreed to remind social work staff of the importance of reaching a balanced decision regarding care placements, taking into account all the information provided about a person’s eligible care needs.

Case Ref: 24 003 054 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council will issue a staff briefing to remind relevant staff ofthe importance of following statutory timescales when completing EHC needsassessments, issuing final EHC Plans, and good communication. This will help to reduce delays in the EHC needs assessment process.

Case Ref: 24 002 371 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Other

• The Council will remind its staff about the importance of considering reasonable requests for care and support plan reviews from any person acting on behalf of an adult, in accordance with statutory guidance.

Case Ref: 24 001 930 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Charging

• Ensure staff carrying out financial assessments are aware the Council can use its discretion to disregard a person’s property.

Case Ref: 24 000 336 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council agreed to review its procedures for processing and recording homeless applications to ensure it meets its statutory duties and correctly records whether it owes a duty to provide interim accommodation;
• The Council agreed to issue reminders to relevant staff in its housing and homelessness teams about the need to ensure information in communications to applicants is accurate, and clearly sets out any duties accepted
• The Council agreed to issue reminders to relevant staff in its housing and homelessness teams about the need to ensure that staff agree, record and implement reasonable adjustments throughout the application process.

Case Ref: 23 021 204 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council delayed in concluding an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Needs Assessment. It has agreed to demonstrate that it has reviewed what led to its delay in progressing the child's EHC Needs Assessment and provide details of an action plan to prevent the same issue occurring again.
• The Council has agreed to provide details of action it has taken, or intends to take, to improve its communication with parents and young people.
• The Council has agreed to provide details of action it has taken, or intends to take, to manage any systemic delays in investigating complaints about its Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) service.
• The Council has agreed to remind all SEND staff that if they become aware that a parent has electively home educated their child, or intends to - not for reasons of preference but because of concerns their current education is not meeting their child’s needs - that the Council must consider whether it owes that child a section 19 duty.

Case Ref: 23 019 790 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Transport

• The Council should send written reminders to relevant Council staff to cover the following:ensure arrangements for risk assessments for an individual’s transport arrangements, and the sharing of these with the transport provider, are monitored and not left to drift; andIt should also outline good practice to staff to say that if the Council is unable to carry out actions as communicated to a complainant, it should proactively update them promptly with the reasons why.