Case Ref: 24 009 654 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Assessment and care plan

• The Council has agreed to take action to ensure: carer’s assessments are carried out in a transparent way; people are given an opportunity to correct any errors with their assessment; and any disputes over a person’s needs are addressed in the assessment.

Case Ref: 24 009 003 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Charging

• The Council agreed to review its policy and practices around its use of approval panels for packages of social care. The review will:be undertaken by a senior Council officer;ensure the Council's policy, panel terms of reference and practices comply with the law and statutory guidance, including an emphasis on individual wellbeing and person-centred care planning, rather than financial considerations; andshare its report and any recommendations with the responsible elected member and/or scrutiny panel.
• The Council agreed to arrange training for all relevant adult social care staff (including managers) on the principles of person-centred care planning, offering choice ofc are home placements and the requirements for third-party top-ups.

Case Ref: 24 007 083 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• Show that it has reviewed and improved its complaint handling procedure and record keeping since 2023.
• Remind staff of the 6 week deadline for moving women who are pregnant and/or with dependent children out of B&B accommodation.

Case Ref: 24 005 585 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council will issue a reminder to all its staff to remind them of the Council's duty to accept a homelessness application through any department.
• The Council will issue a reminder to all its staff of the correct process to follow when a member of any department has reason to believe a person may be homeless or threatened with homelessness.
• The Council will remind its housing team of the Council's complaint policy timeframes for issuing housing complaint responses.

Case Ref: 24 007 428 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Domiciliary care

• The Council has agreed to work with Immaculate Healthcare Services and Supreme Care Services to ensure they understand their responsibilities to report safeguarding incidents when they occur;
• Take action to ensure officers involve people in reviews of their care needs.

Case Ref: 24 006 542 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• By training or other means, remind officers that they should promptly assess the risk to applicants and decide without delay whether their accommodation remains suitable to occupy in the event they disclose they are at risk of domestic abuse.
• Ensure the Council has a process to identify and escalate complaints about homelessness and housing which have exceeded the corporate complaints procedure’s timescales for a response. This is to ensure the Council responds to complaints in accordance with the timescales set out in the Council’s corporate complaints procedure and without significant delay.
• Share the learning from this complaint with officers responsible for temporary accommodation and repairs in the Council’s interim and temporary accommodation, including accommodation procured from private landlords. This is to ensure officers are aware that the failure to respond to requests for service or questions may hinder the Council’s duty to provide suitable interim and temporary accommodation.

Case Ref: 24 002 094 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council will remind its special educational needs and disability staff to ensure decisions on whether to cease, maintain, or amend existing Education, Health, and Care plans are at all times issued within statutory timescales to parents. Including ensuring this is clearly recorded on the child’s or young person’s case record.

Case Ref: 24 001 238 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Assessment and care plan

• The Council will remind social workers and managers in the adult social care team of the importance of keeping clear, complete and contemporaneous records of best interests meetings, including the matters considered, its decision-making process and the outcomes and actions.

Case Ref: 24 001 095 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council has agreed to review its procedures to ensure that homeless applicants who are not computer literate, are communicated with effectively either by using a postal address, or where the applicant has a representative, by sharing key decision letters with them.

Case Ref: 23 020 130 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Looked after children

• The Council will issue written reminders to relevant officers to ensure they are aware they must have a coordinated approach to how they address complaints, especially when several departments are involved.
• The Council will issue written reminders to staff in the leaving care service to ensure they are aware they must put arrangements in place for checking suitability before a young person moves into a property.