Service improvements

London Borough of Bromley

Showing service improvements between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025

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 1 - 10 of 10 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 (24 006 466)

    Category: Education Date: 13-Feb-2025

    Summary

    There was fault in the way the Council considered whether it had a duty to provide alternative education when a child stopped attending their school. During this investigation the Council has offered a suitable remedy for the injustice caused to Ms X and her child. This offer, and our recommended service improvements, are a satisfactory resolution to the complaint.

    Service improvements

    The Council will ensure officers follow a clear andconsistent process when considering s.19 and s.42 duties. This should includeconsulting professionals involved with the child, considering all the evidence,reaching a decision, recording the decision and rationale, and thencommunicating this to families. The Council may wish to consider whether adecision checklist and standard decision letter format may be helpful toofficers making decisions and to those reviewing decisions or consideringcomplaints.

  • London Borough of Bromley (24 005 979)

    Category: Education Date: 31-Jan-2025

    Summary

    Mrs X complained the Council failed to secure the special educational provision in her child, W’s, Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan. The Council was at fault, which meant W missed out on one and a half terms of provision they should have had. The fault also caused Mrs X avoidable upset. To remedy her and W’s injustice, the Council will apologise to Mrs X, pay her a total £1500 and review the systems it has to monitor consultations with educational providers.

    Service improvements

    The Council will review the systems it has in place for monitoring consultations with education and tuition providers to ensure they are sent and followed up without delay.

  • London Borough of Bromley (24 005 751)

    Category: Education Date: 28-Mar-2025

    Summary

    Ms X complained the Council failed to secure the special educational provision in her daughter, W’s, Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan after W struggled to attend school. The Council was at fault, but we cannot say it meant W missed out provision she should have had. The Council was at fault for delay in reviewing and amending W’s EHC Plan. That fault caused Ms X avoidable frustration, meant W missed out on some special educational provision and delayed W receiving free school transport. To remedy their injustice, the Council will apologise to Ms X, pay her £450 and issue a reminder to staff.

    Service improvements

    The Council will remind staff that when a child or young person is out of education and the annual review of their Education, Health and Care Plan is delayed, they must consider if the Council needs to arrange the special educational provision in the child or young person's Plan in the meantime, and keep suitable records of that decision.

  • London Borough of Bromley (24 001 796)

    Category: Education Date: 04-Nov-2024

    Summary

    Ms X complained about the Council’s decision to suspend her child, Y, from school transport. The Council accepts it should not have suspended Y and failed to consult Ms X. The Council has agreed to make a payment to Ms X and train its staff to prevent a recurrence of its mistake.

    Service improvements

    The Council agreed to provide the Ombudsman with evidence of the training it has delivered to its Spedical Educational Needs (SEN) Transport Team to ensure it follows its processes when considering any suspensions from its SEN transport in future.

  • London Borough of Bromley (24 001 450)

    Category: Education Date: 16-Jan-2025

    Summary

    Miss X complains the Council did not properly review her child D’s Education, Health, and Care Plan and ensure it was suitable for them. There was fault by the Council which caused avoidable distress to D and Miss X, and uncertainty about what special educational needs provision D may have missed. The Council agreed to apologise, agrees a dated action plan with Miss X of next steps for updates to D’s Education, Health, and Care Plan, and pay a financial remedy. It will also make an action plan of how it will avoid recurrence of the same faults and report this to its SEND Governance Board for monitoring.

    Service improvements

    The Council agreed to review six cases from 2023 and 2024 where we found similar fault with Education, Health, and Care Plan timescales, and recommended reminders to its staff. It will:produce a dated action plan of how it will avoid recurrence of the same faults by making changes to practice and procedure or staff training; and report this review outcome and action plan to its Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Governance Board so it can decide how progress against the plan should be monitored.

  • London Borough of Bromley (23 016 427)

    Category: Education Date: 16-Jul-2024

    Summary

    There was fault by the Council. There was a delay in issuing an Education, Health and Care Plan of seven and a half months and the loss of education for a term. The Education, Health and Care Plan has now been issued, with an offer of a school place. A remedy payment remedies the injustice of loss of education, uncertainty and a delay in appeal rights to a tribunal.

    Service improvements

    The Council should review its guidance for staff and processes to ensure EHC Plan needs assessments are completed on time.

  • London Borough of Bromley (23 014 861)

    Category: Education Date: 23-Jul-2024

    Summary

    The Council took too long to notify Mrs B that her son’s Education Health and Care (EHC) Plan would cease. It did not properly arrange his transition to adult social care in accordance with the law and guidance. The Council failed to maintain the EHC Plan while Mrs B’s appeal against the decision was outstanding. It took too long to assess his social care needs and to arrange care. The Council caused significant distress, uncertainty and frustration to Mrs B and her son. Mrs B’s son missed out on the educational provision set out in the EHC Plan. The Council has agreed to remedy the injustice it caused.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to remind staff that: a) appeal rights will only arise when the Council sends a letter notifying the parent or young person that the EHC Plan will cease;b) staff should send notification within the legal time scales; andc) if the decision is appealed, the Council should maintain the Plan including the placement while the appeal is outstanding.The Council will also ensure a copy of our final decision is considered by the Children’s Policy Development & Scrutiny committee and Portfolio Holder and share a copy of our final decision with all relevant staff, to include dealing with ceasing EHC Plans and transition from EHC Plans to Adult Social Care.

  • London Borough of Bromley (23 014 748)

    Category: Education Date: 11-Jun-2024

    Summary

    Ms H complained about the Council’s handling of the Education, Health, and Care plan process for her daughter (X). She said this caused her distress and a delay in X receiving the support she needed. We found the Council at fault for failing to adhere to the statutory timescales and it communicated with Ms H poorly as no caseworker was allocated. The Council will apologise and make payment to Ms H to acknowledge the injustice this caused her and X.

    Service improvements

    the Council will remind staff in its Special Educational Needs and Disability team to:1.respond to parents in a timely manner and ensure appropriate notes are available on its records to provide clear and sufficiently detailed responses. 2.ensure cases allocated to individual staff or the Council’s hub are progressed in line with the statutory timescales for the Education, Health, and Care Plan process.

  • London Borough of Bromley (23 010 075)

    Category: Education Date: 16-Apr-2024

    Summary

    Ms F complained about how the Council handled her son’s Education, Health, and Care plan process and her request for a change of school placement. The Council agreed it caused an 8-month delay in finalising his plan due to a human error and apologised to Ms F. This was fault. We found its apology was not enough to remedy the injustice this caused. The Council should make a symbolic payment to Ms F and review its process to ensure such unnecessary delays do not reoccur.

    Service improvements

    The Council will review Ms F’s complaint against its existing processes and procedures to ensure delays or errors in completing the Education, Health, and Care plan process are identified and actioned swiftly, including when complaints are received. This is to ensure it provides parent or young people their right to appeal to the SEND Tribunal without unnecessary delay.

  • London Borough of Bromley (23 009 518)

    Category: Education Date: 04-Apr-2024

    Summary

    Mr X complained about the Council’s delay when reviewing his Education, Health and Care Plan. We found the Council to be at fault. It did not circulate information before the scheduled review meeting and took too long to tell Mr X his Plan would be amended. This caused Mr X avoidable distress and anxiety. To remedy this injustice, the Council has agreed to apologise, make a symbolic payment and take action to improve its timeliness.

    Service improvements

    The Council will provide relevant staff with a copy of this decision to raise awareness of the importance of meeting statutory deadlines and preparing for annual reviews.

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