Case Ref: 23 011 972 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Assessment and care plan

• The Council will through a staff circular, team meeting or other method remind staff about:-a) the importance of providing people with a copy of the support plan promptly, and advising them of the need to discuss any changes to the support plan before reissuing;b) processing direct payments promptly;c) offer prospective recipients an alternative way to meet their needs if there is a delay in processing a direct payment.
• The Council will review the process followed from the point it agrees to a direct payment to its payment. This should identify how long it takes and what steps are required to ensure payments are made in a timely manner.

Case Ref: 23 007 871 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• Enhanced Monitoring of School Provisions: Conduct a review with a view to implementing a system to monitor the implementation of provision. This is in line with the Ombudsman’s expectations from Council’s as per paragraph 14.
• Annual Reviews: Conduct a review with a view to implementing a system to monitor the timeliness of annual reviews where the process has been delegated to schools. This should ensure sufficient monitoring arrangements are in place to identify potential failings at the earliest opportunity.

Case Ref: 23 000 040 Category: Benefits and tax Sub Category: Council tax

• Remind all relevant staff of the need to inform all service users of their appeal rights.

Case Ref: 23 008 954 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Charging

• The Council will issue written reminders to relevant staff to ensure that when a service user or their representative asks about a retrospective CHC assessment, they should make the appropriate enquiries with the NHS department to see if this is a possibility.

Case Ref: 23 007 775 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council will remind those carrying out medical assessments of the need to ensure the applicant’s representations and medical evidence are addressed in the decision about what type of property is suitable.
• The Council should arrange for a training session for officers dealing with homeless applicants to cover:what the code of guidance and law says in relation to assessing homeless applications;how to assess whether it is reasonable for an applicant to remain living in their accommodation;when a prevention duty is owed;when a relief duty is owed;when interim accommodation should be considered;when any prevention duty, relief duty and PHP should be reviewed;a reminder of the need to issue decisions with appeal rights in writing; anda reminder of the need to ensure PHP's are completed.

Case Ref: 23 006 730 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council will ensure when repair works are identified for a property there is a process in place to ensure those works are overseen to prevent delay.

Case Ref: 23 006 154 Category: Housing Sub Category: Private housing

• The Council will remind all Council officers who carry out private housing inspections to complete an accurate report of inspections which includes considerations of both category 1 and 2 hazards in line with the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS). The Council should ensure the officers write to complainants with a copy of the report outlining the conclusions of the inspection.

Case Ref: 23 003 999 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• By training, or other means, remind officers: i.the low threshold for triggering the duty to offer interim accommodation and,ii.that they must consider all aspects of an applicants housing situation and the provisions of chapter 21 of the homelessness code of guidance when considering if a person may be homeless.

Case Ref: 23 000 719 Category: Benefits and tax Sub Category: Council tax

• The Council will ensure all staff in the contact centre who provide council tax support read our Focus Report 'Equal Access: Getting it right for people with disabilities' published in May 2022 and 'Principles of good administrative practice' issued in December 2018.

Case Ref: 23 000 639 Category: Benefits and tax Sub Category: Council tax

• Review its systems and processes to ensure that the problem of payments/compensation being applied to a Council Tax account cannot impact negatively on any other person liable for Council Tax, as it did for Mr X.