Case Ref: 22 015 696 Category: Benefits and tax Sub Category: Council tax

• The Council agreed to review and identify why it failed to act on the Valuation Tribunal’s notification of the hearing and act to ensure this cannot be repeated in future.
• The Council agreed to review and identify why a full package of documents was not sent to the Valuation Tribunal and act to ensure this failure cannot be repeated in the future.

Case Ref: 22 014 452 Category: Benefits and tax Sub Category: Other

• The Council will amend its processes as needed to ensure it signposts to the Ombudsman as appropriate upon any final response (i.e. whether given under the complaint process or at service level).

Case Ref: 22 011 533 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council has agreed to remind relevant staff that decisions about priority on the housing register, including assessment of new information or changes in circumstances, carry a statutory right of review and that all such decisions should be communicated to the applicant in writing and explain the review rights.
• The Council has agreed to review and amend the allocations scheme to make clear how the Council assesses housing need for applicants with overnight staying contact with their children.

Case Ref: 22 007 433 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council will remind relevant staff of the need to keep parents updated about the outcome of school consultations and respond to reasonable requests for information about school consultation outcomes.

Case Ref: 22 005 857 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Disabled facilities grants

• The Council will review its policy of refusing internal adaptations if access to a property could not be made safe.

Case Ref: 22 000 387 Category: Benefits and tax Sub Category: COVID-19

• The Council will remind its complaints team to signpost complainants to the Ombudsman where appropriate.

Case Ref: 22 000 345 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Domiciliary care

• The Council has agreed to remind care providers of the provisions within the contract which states: “in the absence of such consent by the Commissioner, or the lack of appropriate provision to meet the needs of the Service User, the Provider shall continue to deliver the previously commissioned Service for the Service User.” This is to ensure service users are not left without appropriate care/support provision while the Council is looking for alternative provision following a care provider’s notice to terminate its contract.

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.