Service improvements

Leeds City Council

Showing service improvements between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025

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 - 10 of 25 cases with service improvements

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Downloads the current filtered list of service improvement decisions for Leeds City Council as a CSV file.

  • Leeds City Council (24 010 616)

    Category: Housing Date: 28-Mar-2025

    Summary

    Miss X complained the Council failed to consider evidence she provided in its decisions about her housing circumstances. She also said the Council failed to provide advice or follow correct procedures, communicated poorly, and sent letters to the wrong address. We have found the Council acted with fault by delaying its review of Miss X’s medical evidence. We have found the Council missed opportunities to consider whether Miss X was already homeless, or to consider planning the provision of interim accommodation. We have also found the Council communicated poorly. We cannot say how Miss X’s circumstances would have been different, but for the faults occurring, which causes uncertainty for Miss X. The Council has agreed to apologise to Miss X, pay a financial remedy to recognise the uncertainty caused, and provide training for its officers. There are parts of Miss X’s complaint we cannot investigate. We explain why in our decision statement.

    Service improvements

    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.

  • Leeds City Council (24 007 590)

    Category: Education Date: 31-Mar-2025

    Summary

    Miss X complained about how the Council reviewed and amended her child, W’s, Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan. Miss X also complained the Council failed to provide W with education when they struggled to attend school. The Council was at fault in how it carried out W’s EHC Plan reviews and made changes to their Plan. The Council was also at fault in how it decided whether it should arrange alternative education for W. We cannot say, even on balance, that this fault meant W missed out on education. The faults caused Miss X upset, frustration and uncertainty. To remedy her injustice, the Council will apologise and pay Miss X £700. The Council will remind staff they must keep suitable records of their decision-making on alternative education provision.

    Service improvements

    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.

  • Leeds City Council (24 004 918)

    Category: Education Date: 03-Mar-2025

    Summary

    Mr X complained the Council’s school admissions appeal panel used false information when deciding about his daughter’s (F) secondary school application. We found fault in the way the school admissions appeal panel made its decision. This fault caused confusion and distress to Mr X and his mother (Mrs Y) but did not affect the outcome of the appeal. The Council has agreed to apologise, to update F’s secondary school application and to make symbolic payments for Mr X’s and Mrs Y’s distress. The Council has also agreed to carry out some service improvements.

    Service improvements

    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.

  • Leeds City Council (24 003 573)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 20-Jan-2025

    Summary

    Mrs E complained that the Council took to long to agree to a residential care placement for her mother Mrs F (now deceased) despite her expressed wish to do so due to loneliness, isolation and anxiety over carer visits. We found some fault with the actions of the Council. The Council has agreed to pay Mrs E £300 and improve its procedures for the future.

    Service improvements

    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.

  • Leeds City Council (24 003 054)

    Category: Education Date: 21-Oct-2024

    Summary

    Mrs B complains about the Council’s delays in carrying out an Education, Health and Care needs assessment for her daughter and issuing the final Education, Health and Care Plan (EHC Plan). There was fault by the Council. It did not meet statutory timescales during the EHC Plan process. Because of this, Mrs B suffered distress and she spent time and trouble chasing the Council for updates. The Council’s failure to meet statutory timescales also delayed her appeal right to the Tribunal. The Council will make a symbolic payment to Mrs B, apologise to Mrs B and her daughter and issue a staff briefing.

    Service improvements

    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.

  • Leeds City Council (24 002 371)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 24-Jan-2025

    Summary

    Ms X complains the Council did not meet Mrs Y care and support needs. She says this impacted Mrs Y’s wellbeing. We find the Council at fault which caused Mrs Y injustice. The Council has agreed to apologise to Mrs Y, issue her reviewed care and support plan and take service improvement action.

    Service improvements

    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.

  • Leeds City Council (24 001 930)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 14-Nov-2024

    Summary

    Mr X complained the Council did not properly consider whether to disregard his son’s property when calculating the cost of care. Mr X says his son will not be able to afford to pay for any care costs unless his property is disregarded. We have found the Council at fault for how it made its decision. To remedy the injustice caused the Council agreed to apologise, re-make the decision on whether to include Mr X’s son’s property when calculating care costs, and carry out a service improvement.

    Service improvements

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

  • Leeds City Council (24 000 336)

    Category: Housing Date: 30-Jul-2024

    Summary

    Miss B complained the Council failed to meet its duties to her when she became threatened with homelessness and then homeless. She says the Council wrongly advised her to stay in her rented property even after the landlord asked her to leave. We found fault in how the Council handled Miss B’s homeless application which caused her distress at a difficult time and meant she was subject to legal action which could have been avoided. The Council agreed to apologise to Miss B, review its procedures, and issue reminders to its staff.

    Service improvements

    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 acceptedThe 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.

  • Leeds City Council (23 021 204)

    Category: Education Date: 14-Oct-2024

    Summary

    The Council should have considered its section 19 duty to Mr X’s child, Z, a year earlier than it did. Its failure to do so caused a period of uncertainty about what education Z should have received and later, two terms of avoidable missed provision. The Council also delayed by 38 weeks in concluding Z’s Education, Health and Care (EHC) Needs Assessment. To recognise the injustice caused, the Council has agreed to pay Mr X £3,050 and carry out service improvements.

    Service improvements

    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.

  • Leeds City Council (23 019 790)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 15-Oct-2024

    Summary

    Mrs X complained about issues with the Council’s transport services for her sibling. The Council accepted it was at fault and put forward a number of remedies. It has agreed to carry them out to remedy the injustice caused.

    Service improvements

    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.

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