Case Ref: 24 012 017 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council agreed to decide what changes are needed to its Education, Health, and Care (EHC) Plan processes, or staff training, to ensure it has systems in place to:check special educational needs provision is in place when it issues a new or substantially different EHC Plan, or there is a change in educational setting; andproperly investigate complaints or concerns that provision is not in place at any time.

Case Ref: 24 006 945 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council has agreed to send written reminders to relevant staff of the Council’s responsibilities under Section 19 of the Education Act. With these reminders, it should share a copy of our “Out of school, out of sight? focus report, highlighting key points to ensure officers are aware of the factors they should consider when aware a child is not accessing full time education.

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.