Service improvements

London Borough of Bromley

Showing service improvements between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2027

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 31 - 40 of 40 cases with service improvements

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Downloads the current filtered list of service improvement decisions for London Borough of Bromley as a CSV file.

  • London Borough of Bromley (22 016 360)

    Category: Education Date: 17-May-2023

    Summary

    Mrs X complains the Council has not dealt properly with her daughter’s education. The Council took too long to produce an EHCP and did not consider whether alternative education should be provided. Mrs X’s right of appeal was delayed and her daughter Y missed education. The Council has agreed to apologise, pay Mrs X £3,000 for Y’s loss of education and provide training and guidance to staff.

    Service improvements

    Provide training to all staff regarding the Council’s responsibilities relating to section 19 alternative education provision;Provide guidance to staff relating to the EHCP process and their responsibilities to adhere to timescales set out in SENCOP.

  • London Borough of Bromley (22 015 630)

    Category: Education Date: 14-Nov-2023

    Summary

    Mrs X complained about the Council’s actions in relation to her child’s, Y, Education, Health and Care Plan (EHC Plan) and when Y was unable to attend school. The Council was at fault for failing to respond to Mrs X’s request for a reassessment of Y’s needs and support in the EHC Plan. It was also at fault for how it managed the annual review process and for delaying action when it became aware Y was not attending school. This caused Mrs X frustration and uncertainty. The Council has already apologised to Mrs X for some of the fault. The Council has agreed to extend its apology and provide Mrs X with a symbolic payment. It will remind staff to issue decision letters and review with staff the timescales of amending and issuing final EHC Plans in line with legislation. The Council will also review with staff its statutory duty in relation to children absent from school.

    Service improvements

    The Council will remind staff to action a parent’s request for a reassessment of Education, Health and Care Plan needs and support and to notify them within 15 days of the request of its decisionThe Council will remind staff to notify parents of its decision following an Education, Health and Care Plan annual review meeting.The Council will review with staff the timescale of amending Education, Health and Care Plans and finalising them, in line with legislation.The Council will review with staff the importance of not delaying action as soon as it becomes aware a child is not attending school because of illness or other reasons.

  • London Borough of Bromley (22 013 945)

    Category: Education Date: 31-Aug-2023

    Summary

    The Council failed to provide alternative education when a child was unable to attend school for mental health reasons and took thirteen months, instead of twenty weeks, to issue a final EHC plan. This was fault and led to a child missing out on education and placed additional strain on their parent carer. The Council will apologise, make a financial payment and carry out service improvements. The complaint is upheld.

    Service improvements

    The Council has wrongly advised that schools, not the Council, hold responsibility for providing s.19 education. The Council has agreed in a previous investigation to provide updated training. The Council should use the training opportunity to ask officers to identify other cases where s.19 education may not have been provided, and provide a remedy to other families identified.The Council should update and clarify its information for schools so cases where pupils have been long term absent and s.19 education is not in place can be identified and report the situation to the relevant scrutiny committee.

  • London Borough of Bromley (22 011 091)

    Category: Education Date: 16-Mar-2023

    Summary

    Ms X complained that the Council delayed in securing a school place for her son, C, and failed to put in place alternative education in the interim. We found the Council was at fault in failing to chase up a school place for C with the school it had identified under the Fair Access Protocol. It also failed to put in place alternative provision while the matter was resolved. As a result, C lost three months’ education and Ms X suffered distress and inconvenience. In recognition of the injustice caused the Council has agreed to apologise to Ms X and make a payment to her.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to issue a written reminder to relevant staff to ensure they are aware of the Council’s duties under section 19 of the Education Act 1996 to provide alternative education for children where there is no suitable available education which is reasonably practicable for the child to access.

  • London Borough of Bromley (22 001 138)

    Category: Education Date: 19-Oct-2022

    Summary

    Ms X complained about delays with getting professional advice and issuing an Education and Health Care Plan (EHCP) for her daughter (Z). She also complained about the Council’s unsatisfactory communication throughout the EHCP process. Ms X said the Council’s failings had detrimental effect on Z at the critical stage of her education, caused them distress and resulted in the family’s financial difficulties. We find the Council at fault for failing to comply with the EHCP timescales and to effectively communicate with Ms X. The Council has accepted our recommendations for personal remedies and service improvements.

    Service improvements

    The Council will remind all Special Educational Needs case officers and their managers of the importance to:comply with the Education and Health Care Plan timescales;involve children or young people and their parents in the Education and Health Care Plan process.The Council will provide the evidence that this has happened.

  • London Borough of Bromley (22 000 414)

    Category: Education Date: 23-Mar-2023

    Summary

    Mrs X complains the Council has failed to provide outreach support for her son Y, as specified in his EHCP. We have concluded our investigation having made a finding of fault by the Council. Although the Council did allocate direct payments when there was no agency support in place, we have not been able to substantiate that sufficient support was in place all the time. Further, the Council has not kept clear and accurate records which has contributed to confusion and uncertainty in this complaint. The Council has agreed to our recommendations.

    Service improvements

    Explain what it will do, where flexible support is provided, to ensure that appropriate record keeping of any arrangements and direct payments is documented. Records should set out how any flexible arrangement is meeting the needs of all children as per the provisions specified in their EHCP.

  • London Borough of Bromley (21 011 678)

    Category: Education Date: 19-Jun-2022

    Summary

    Mr X complained about the Council’s failure to secure alternative education, including provision from his son’s Education, Health and Care plan, after it found out in June 2021 that his son was no longer able to attend school. The Council was at fault for the delay in securing alternative provision for Mr X’s son. The Council agreed to remedy the injustice its actions caused to Mr X and his son.

    Service improvements

    The Council agreed to review is alternative education provision policies and procedures to ensure is promptly secures alternative provision for children who are not accessing a full-time education in school.

  • London Borough of Bromley (21 010 675)

    Category: Education Date: 17-Jul-2022

    Summary

    Ms X complained the Council failed to ensure her child, C, received some of the provision specified in his Education, Health, and Care Plan. We found the Council was at fault when it failed to deliver some of the provision in C’s Plan. The Council also failed to appoint a Speech and Language Therapist and an Occupational Therapist in reasonable time. This caused delay in ensuring some of the provision was delivered. Ms X and C were caused the injustice of distress and frustration. Ms X was also put to the time and trouble of complaining. the Council has agreed to our recommended remedy for the injustice caused.

    Service improvements

    Share this decision with staff involved with SEN and drafting EHCPs reminding them of the need to begin commissioning services as soon as possible.

  • London Borough of Bromley (21 005 410)

    Category: Education Date: 27-Mar-2022

    Summary

    Mrs J complains the Council delayed issuing a final EHC Plan for her grandson and has failed to provide him with a full-time education or with a personal budget for education out of school. We have found fault causing injustice. The Council has agreed to make a payment to Mrs J and review its procedures.

    Service improvements

    •Remind SEND staff to consider seeking advice from the multi-agency statutory assessment panel if professional advice or information for an EHC needs assessment has not been received within six weeks.•Review its arrangements with neighbouring NHS bodies in relation to seeking information and advice for an EHC needs assessment, to ensure what is being requested and the timescales are clear.

  • London Borough of Bromley (20 009 324)

    Category: Education Date: 24-Feb-2022

    Summary

    We found fault with the Council’s handling of home to school transport arrangements for Ms X’s granddaughter, Y. The Council failed to ensure Y could use the transport she was eligible for free of charge. It will apologise to Ms X and reimburse the money she paid towards Y’s school transport. It will also review its approach to home to school transport for eligible looked after children and reimburse other connected and foster carers who made claims for transport expenses and had money deducted before their claim was paid. There was no fault in the Council’s handling of a home visit in October 2020.

    Service improvements

    The Council agreed to: •review its payment policy to ensure looked after children who are ‘eligible’ children receive the free home to school transport they are entitled to, and foster and connected carers are not expected to use part of their fostering allowance to cover the cost of this; and•identify and reimburse foster and connected carers who made successful applications for transport expenses since October 2017 and who had the weekly transport allowance deducted before their claim was paid.

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