Case Ref: 22 011 788 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council has agreed to revise the wording in the template letter accepting the main housing duty to inform homeless applicants of their right to request a statutory review of the suitability of temporary accommodation.
• Review its guidance to officers about when to make further enquiries and, where appropriate, request evidence from the police when a household in temporary accommodation has reported a serious threat or assault;
• Review guidance to officers about the circumstances when it isappropriate to make a safeguarding referral to Children’s Services
• Arrange a briefing with all relevant officers to make them aware of the reviewed guidance and good practice

Case Ref: 22 001 040 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Residential care

• The Council will discuss with relevant staff the process for dealing with adult social complaints that may involve elements of health care and related guidance. It will provide the Ombudsman with documentary evidence of the discussion.

Case Ref: 22 011 091 Category: Education Sub Category: School admissions

• 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.

Case Ref: 22 009 403 Category: Housing Sub Category: Private housing

• The Council agreed to remind officers of the need to carry out Housing Health and Safety Rating System assessments when reaching decisions about enforcement under its policy.
• The Council agreed to remind officers of the need to give landlords/agents timescales within which to start and complete works or surveys when pursuing informal enforcement.

Case Ref: 22 004 474 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Disabled facilities grants

• The Council agreed to remind officers of the importance in adhering to timescales for complex cases, as set out in the Disabled Facilities Grants guidance.

Case Ref: 22 001 138 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• 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.

Case Ref: 22 001 013 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council has agreed to review how it identifies domestic abuse between family members when homelessness cases are assessed. This should include how staff members identify domestic abuse between family members and how to record this in the assessment.

Case Ref: 22 000 582 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council has agreed to review how it manages requests for reciprocal accommodation agreements from other councils to ensure that staff are aware of the agreements and whether applicants qualify for the housing register.

Case Ref: 22 000 414 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• 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.

Case Ref: 22 000 404 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Residential care

• The Council has agreed to ensure that safeguarding enquiries do not just assume the position as determined by the Care Provider, but properly question events and seek other information to support this where possible.