Case Ref: 22 000 280 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• The Council will ensure its housing register banding template decision letters include information on how the person can request a review.

Case Ref: 21 017 479 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council will review its procedure for arranging interim and temporary accommodation to ensure it tells individuals to apply for housing benefit and it keeps a record of this.

Case Ref: 21 015 618 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Residential care

• The Council has agreed to provide evidence that the care home's personal possessions policy has been updated to include that;the team leader on duty should check personal possession inventories and sign them;a resident's family member should verify the inventory by signing it; andstaff should produce updated records of a person's belongings when they are admitted to hospital.
• The Council has agreed to demonstrate that the care provider has;carried out training with all staff regarding the agreed improved processes for inventory of personal belongings; andreminded all staff of the importance of updating residents' inventories when their belongings change during their stay.

Case Ref: 21 010 191 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Assessment and care plan

• Within two months of our final decision the Council will remind its officers dealing with adult social care cases of the importance of completing carer’s assessment when a request is made and when a person who is ordinarily resident in its area may have need for care and support. This should be considered even if another council is meeting the cared for person’s needs for reasons other than Care Act eligibility, for example, under the terms of section 117 of the Mental Health Act 1983.

Case Ref: 21 005 879 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Disabled facilities grants

• Remind officers about the importance of keeping people informed and updated about the progress of works.
• Remind officers about investigating complaints in a timely manner and according to the complaints process;

Case Ref: 20 012 082 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Assessment and care plan

• Remind relevant staff that they must involve relevant carers, whether they are paid or unpaid, in adult social care assessments and reviews to gather all useful information available. This is in accordance with section 10.49 of the Care and Support statutory guidance.

Case Ref: 20 008 236 Category: Benefits and tax Sub Category: COVID-19

• The council has agreed to take action to ensure staff provide a written response to any customer queries, rather than issuing a revised bill without further explanation.

Case Ref: 20 008 088 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Assessment and care plan

• Review procedures so that all those who have care commissioned by the Council whether full cost payers or not, have yearly reviews. The Council says it is already in the process of completing this action.

Case Ref: 20 004 992 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• Reflect on the issues raised in this decision statement and identify any areas of service improvement. The Council should prepare a short report setting out what the Council intends to do to ensure similar problems not reoccur. This report should be sent to the Ombudsman.

Case Ref: 20 003 951 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• By 1 July 2021: • Issue written reminders to its staff to ensure they understand: 1. The Council’s duty to provide full-time education where a child cannot attend school because of exclusion, medical reasons or otherwise. 2. That when a child moves into the Council’s area, they must review the EHC plan within either 12 months from the EHC plan being made or last reviewed, or three months from the date of the transfer, whichever is the later.