Case Ref: 25 003 487 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council has agreed to reviews its commissioning arrangements to ensure that going forward these can meet timescales for Education, Health and Care needs assessments and provision of Speech and Language Therapy and Occupational Therapy, once a plan is finalised.

Case Ref: 25 003 295 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Charging

• The Council will remind relevant staff of the importance of arranging a financial assessment at the time care is arranged or as soon as possible afterwards.

Case Ref: 25 001 789 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Assessment and care plan

• The Council will establish a clear communication process to keep those who have been referred for an Occupational Therapy assessment informed about their assessment timeline.

Case Ref: 24 022 609 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council will remind staff who deal with suitability review requests that they should respond to the requests within eight weeks. If there are going to be delays, they should keep the person who requested the review informed.

Case Ref: 24 022 545 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• remind officers, and provide training or guidance if needed, to document telephone calls with applicants and relevant third parties
• remind officers, and provide training or guidance if needed, to ensure reasonable adjustments are in place for applicants

Case Ref: 24 020 882 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• The Council agreed to remind staff of the importance of ensuring housing benefit claims for homeless accommodation are made in a timely manner.

Case Ref: 24 019 615 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council has agreed to issue guidance to relevant staff, to remind them they should not delay the arrangement of interim accommodation to await the submission of documents which can be collected later. The Council should circulate a copy of my decision statement as part of this guidance.

Case Ref: 24 018 272 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council will share the findings of the Ombudsman's investigation with relevant officers, emphasising the Council's duty to secure suitable accommodation is immediate, non-deferable and unqualified. The Council will also emphasise that bed-and-breakfast accommodation can only be used for households which include a pregnant woman or dependant children when no other accommodation is available, and then for no longer than six weeks. Finally, the Council will emphasise it has a continuing obligation to keep the suitability of accommodation under review, and to respond to any relevant changes that may affect suitability.

Case Ref: 24 016 625 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• The Council agreed to remind relevant officers of the need to ensure there is a record of their decision on a medical assessment request from an applicant following a Medical Advisor’s recommendation.
• The Council agreed to establish why two online completed medical assessment forms were not actioned promptly when submitted and act to ensure the failures cannot be repeated on future cases.
• The Council agreed to establish why the statutory review request was not actioned and take steps to ensure this failing cannot be repeated on future cases.
• The Council agreed to carry out a review of the Panel’s decision.

Case Ref: 24 016 356 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Assessment and care plan

• The Council will remind relevant officers, via training or a briefing note, that where a needs assessment identifies support is required for attending medical appointments, it properly considers whether this is an eligible need under the Care and Support Statutory Guidance.