Case Ref: 23 009 245 Category: Environment and regulation Sub Category: Antisocial behaviour

• Review its policy to ensure it makes reference to a right of appeal, as set out the ASB case review guidance.

Case Ref: 23 007 708 Category: Housing Sub Category: Other

• The Council has agreed to remind its housing staff that where they decide to depart from a legal duty, such as treating an applicant as not in priority need for housing when it has reason to believe they are, that it send this decision to the applicant in writing and seek their agreement.
• The Council has agreed to remind its housing staff to record notes from its phone conversations with housing applicants on the same day as the conversation occurs to ensure reliability.
• The Council has agreed to demonstrate it has taken steps to improve its capacity to respond promptly to homeless applicants and ensure it does not miss important information through messages.
• The Council has agreed to demonstrate that it has looked into what led to its delays in the following areas and considered how to prevent these occurring in future:• processing the initial homelessness application;• deciding it owed a relief duty; and• deciding it owed a main housing duty.

Case Ref: 23 007 488 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• The Council will review how it deals with requests to review housing priority decisions. It should provide an updated action plan showing the actions it is taking to reduce delays and how this will be monitored.

Case Ref: 23 006 728 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• The Council should review its housing allocations process to ensure measures are in place for progressing medical assessments in a timely manner and for ways to deal with any delays.

Case Ref: 23 005 209 Category: Other Categories Sub Category: Other

• The Council should review the information it provides in response to complaints that are not covered by its complaints procedure to ensure it provides an adequate and accurate response.

Case Ref: 23 003 910 Category: Housing Sub Category: Other

• Review its template letters for housing register application decisions to ensure the Council provides a clear explanation of how applicants can seek a review of those decisions and to ensure the letters comply with the requirements set out in paragraph 5.23 of the statutory guidance.

Case Ref: 22 016 407 Category: Transport and highways Sub Category: Parking and other penalties

• The Council will remind staff in its call centre(s) that: they should signpost people to the corporate complaints procedure if they think the service user might have a complaint;
• they should ask if that service user needs any reasonable adjustments in order to make their complaint; and,
• that the Council’s equality duty is anticipatory: staff should not wait for the person to ask for a reasonable adjustment.

Case Ref: 22 016 404 Category: Housing Sub Category: Other

• The Council has agreed to share a copy of this decision with staff in the relevant departments to identify learning from this complaint.
• The Council has agreed to remind relevant staff that even where it must rely on B&B to meet its accommodation duty, it should consider and record whether particular applicants need accommodation in or near the borough for it to be suitable.
• The Council has agreed to ensure it tells homeless applicants in short-term B&B placements who need to move to another hotel where they will be going with at least 24 hours’ notice.
• The Council has agreed to identify a means of ensuring oversight of the relevant dates and deadlines of a homeless application, including when the 56-day relief period will end and a main housing duty decision is due.
• The Council has agreed to provide training or guidance to relevant staff on the circumstances in which the Council has a duty to protect the property of a homeless applicant.

Case Ref: 22 012 415 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• The Council will remind all relevant officers the need to ensure housing register decision letters explain what information was considered and the reasons for the conclusions reached.

Case Ref: 22 011 895 Category: Housing Sub Category: Other

• By training, or other means, remind officers of the provisions of its complaints procedure and that complaints about statutory reviews, such as eligibility for the housing register, will not be considered through the complaints process.