Case Ref: 24 019 100 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council will ensure all officers responding to complaints are aware of our Complaint Handling Code, with specific reference to section 5.4 which states: the person responding to a complaint should clarify with the complainant any parts of the complaint they are unclear about, and give the complainant a fair chance to set out their position.

Case Ref: 24 014 206 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council will remind relevant staff to consider whether the Council owes a child or young person a section 19 alternative provision duty where it is aware the young person is not attending school, including where the Council is carrying out an Education, Health and Care needs assessment for the young person.

Case Ref: 24 014 166 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council has agreed to share our final decision with its SEND Panel Members and remind them that to prevent delay, they should ensure they have all the information they require before making their decisions.

Case Ref: 24 013 750 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council will take action to ensure correspondence sent by post is addressed to the intended recipient.

Case Ref: 24 011 536 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council should issue guidance to relevant staff, to remind them the SEN Code says (at paragraph 9.192) the 14-week deadline for completing an EHC needs reassessment begins on the date the decision to reassess is made.

Case Ref: 24 011 482 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council will tell us what steps it is taking to ensure it is seeking to commission alternative providers in cases where the initial commissioned providers do not have capacity to meet the provision detailed in the EHC Plan.

Case Ref: 24 011 010 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council agreed that it would remind all staff who carry out reviews of the suitability of temporary accommodation for those who are homeless, of the need for their decisions to clearly state if the Council considered the accommodation suitable or not. Also, that where the Council considered accommodation suitable that it must remind the applicant of their right to seek a further review via the County Court. This followed the Council issuing a confusing decision in this case, where the complainant had asked it to review the suitability of his temporary accommodation.

Case Ref: 24 009 928 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council has also agreed that within eight weeks of this final decision, it will remind officers that its Section 19 duty is engaged as soon as it becomes aware a child or young person is not attending school, regardless of whether the Council receives a formal referral through its Gateway Service.

Case Ref: 24 007 654 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council will remind officers dealing with EHC Plans of the Council’s responsibility for ensuring provision in an EHC Plan is in place. That reminder should include the need to liaise with the education provider if a parent/carer raises concerns about provision not being in place, rather than directing the parent/carer back to the education provider.

Case Ref: 24 009 642 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council has agreed to remind relevant officers of the legal duty to assess and make an accurate and comprehensive record of the current housing and support needs of the applicant. Particularly where the Council has previously accepted a duty to the applicant.