Case Ref: 18 016 105 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Assessment and care plan

• The Council has agreed to undertake a full review of its handling of this case, to identify where it made errors, and explain the outcome of the review to the Ombudsman when it is complete.

Case Ref: 18 015 792 Category: Benefits and tax Sub Category: Council tax

• The Council will take action to ensure Revenues officers recognise an appeal about council tax liability. It should also tell the Ombudsman how in future it will tell those who dispute liability about the Valuation Tribunal.

Case Ref: 18 015 014 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Transition from childrens services

• Carries out a review of its transition assessments to ensure officers actively consider and evidence their decision on when they consider it is of benefit to the young person to start the transition assessment. It should also include clear timelines for the transition assessment and care and support planning to ensure the delays experienced in this case do not recur.
• Reviews its EHC plan procedures to ensure it starts transition planning in year 9 for children with assessed care needs and includes a timescale for issuing final EHC plans to ensure the delays experienced in this case do not recur. The reviews should be a joint review with Social Care and SEN departments.

Case Ref: 18 014 896 Category: Environment and regulation Sub Category: Refuse and recycling

• The Council will remind staff and its contractor that it should return to collect bins within one working day of a missed collection report, in accordance with the Council's policy.

Case Ref: 18 013 019 Category: Environment and regulation Sub Category: Antisocial behaviour

• Within one month of my decision the Council will: carry out a training session for antisocial behaviour and noise nuisance officers to cover communicating with complainants during an investigation and when a decision is reached not to pursue matters further.

Case Ref: 18 012 270 Category: Planning Sub Category: Planning applications

• The Council should confirm it has considered the Ombudsman’s guidance for planning practitioners ‘Recording Planning Decisions’ (September 2018), available on the Ombudsman’s website, during its recent review of ways of working. The Council should provide evidence of its review and any resultant actions regarding planning application reports to the Ombudsman.

Case Ref: 18 010 646 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Other

• The Council will produce and share an action plan to show what actions it has taken as a result of the faults identified with a failed carer visit. This should evidence what steps have been/will be taken to prevent the faults from happening again. Actions should address record keeping for any contacts with other agencies and procedures to follow if there is no response on carer visits. This action plan will be shared with the Ombudsmen and the complainant.

Case Ref: 18 009 643 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Other

• The Council will ensure discharge procedures are robust and emphasise the importance of holistic multidisciplinary assessment prior to discharge for patient's with complex needs, in accordance with Department of Health guidelines. The Council will also explain what they will do to monitor and audit these procedures on an ongoing basis.
• The Council will ensure they have appropriate procedures in place for undertaking mental capacity assessments that reflect the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the accompanying Code of Practice.
• The Council will ensure their complaints procedures reflect the complaint regulations, with specific regard to the duty to cooperate when handling complaints that are relevant to both organisations.

Case Ref: 18 005 311 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Assessment and care plan

• The Council will write to the Ombudsmen to: - Explain what action it will take to ensure there is a robust process in place for assessing the suitability of accommodation for service users with specific health needs; and - Explain what action it will take to ensure there is a robust process on place that allows for timely assessment and review of service users' needs in the community.

Case Ref: 17 002 640 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Other

• Within three months of the final decision the Council and an NHS Trust should both review their own handling of this complex complaint. As part of this, the Council and Trust should review their existing policies and procedures and check they are in keeping with the relevant legislation about childrens and health and social care complaints, including the consideration of joint working.
• Within three months of the final decision the Council and an NHS Trust should work together to review this case to learn lessons their individual and joint case management of complex cases such as Miss A’s. As part of this work it should review relevant legislation and guidelines. The Council and Trust should seek to develop workable and realistic ways of establishing clearer lines of communication and clearer responsibilities for case management in joint cases. The review should also consider matters dispute resolution and escalation. In undertaking this work the Council and Trust may wish to consider approaching the local CCG (and other local CCGs) and NHS England to ensure its policies properly account for relevant funding processes and any wider case management and escalation processes.
• Within three months of the final decision the Council should review this case and any processes or procedures it has for keeping track of delays in assessments and care planning. The Council should ensure that its processes include suitable and practical ways of highlighting, escalating and addressing any obstacles to the timely and adequate completion of assessments and care plans. The Council should also take steps to ensure its procedures are properly embedded and that relevant staff are aware of them.
• Within three months of the final decision the Council should consider its policies and practices for choosing placements for young people eligible for its support. Specifically, the Council should consider whether its procedures are appropriately flexible and realistic to be able to handle complex cases such as this one, where suitable placements are in short supply. The Council should also ensure its policy is clear and that relevant staff are aware of it.
• Within three months of the final decision the Council should review this case and consider the issues it highlights around respective duties for Children in Need and/or Looked After Children who are also under s117 and have EHCPs. It should clearly establish its position on its duties and develop clear policies and procedures to guide staff in complex cases with overlapping duties. This might involve clarifying the options the Council has for meeting its various duties and setting out what steps should be taken to meet them. The Council should also take steps to ensure its procedures are properly embedded and that relevant staff are aware of them.