Case Ref: 25 008 541 Category: Education Sub Category: School transport

• •Rewrite the factsheets to make it clear a personal travel budget is available if the parent agrees.
• •Rewrite the policy to make it clear a personal travel budget is available if the parent agrees.

Case Ref: 25 004 523 Category: Education Sub Category: School transport

• The Council will remind staff and panel members who make decisions on school transport applications of the importance of clearly setting out their reasons and what they have considered, making sure they have addressed all elements of law, policy and statutory guidance relevant to the individual application. The Council may wish to consider the use of pre-populated forms, prompts or checklists to assist officers.
• The Council will ensure it carries out individual assessments of need where an application is made on SEN/disability grounds at the time the application is received and not rely solely on information in EHC Plans.

Case Ref: 25 004 341 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• Ensure, by a staff briefing, staff training or changing procedures, that all applicants who meet the threshold for homelessness inquiries receive written decisions including their review rights

Case Ref: 24 021 742 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Charging

• The Council has agreed to review its procedures for charging for care to ensure: Where a financial assessment form is not returned within 14 days a reminder is issued or a telephone call made.Full cost letters accurately reflect the situation where a financial assessment form has not been returned, specifically, that the Council has assumed an individual does not wish to disclose their financial situation and is willing to pay the full cost of their care.

Case Ref: 24 021 257 Category: Benefits and tax Sub Category: Council tax

• The Council will, through a briefing note, remind relevant staff of the importance of clear and timely verbal and written communication in relation to the council tax payment allocation process.

Case Ref: 24 017 008 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council will review the way it records temporary accommodation suitability reviews to ensure all requests are responded to. The Council will provide the evidence that this has happened.

Case Ref: 24 016 501 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council will remind staff they must consider all the relevant evidence about a person's needs before placing them in interim and temporary homelessness accommodation, to ensure that accommodation is suitable at the point the offer of accommodation is made.
• The Council will share a copy of the Ombudsman's guidance Homelessness decisions for Disabled people with relevant staff, if it has not already done so.
• The Council will send the Ombudsman details of the steps it is taking to increase its stock of interim and temporary accommodation, to meet the increased demand for homelessness housing. The Council will include when it intends to complete the steps and how it will review their effectiveness.
• The Council will tell staff who deal with housing register allocations that before they suspend a person's right to bid on social housing, they should consider whether a suspension is appropriate in that case. The Council will include the complainant's case as an example of when a suspension is not appropriate.

Case Ref: 24 008 846 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council has agreed to provide training or guidance to relevant staff on the duty to make inquiries when an applicant gives reason to believe they might to be homeless or threatened with homelessness regardless of questions about local connection or duties owed by another council.
• The Council has agreed to provide provide training or guidance to relevant staff on the minimum expectations for record keeping and communication with applicants in homeless applications.

Case Ref: 24 006 620 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• Remind officers of the importance of ensuring the correct decision letters are sent to ensure all rights of review and appeal are notified.

Case Ref: 23 011 272 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• The Council will remind relevant officers and managers of the need to specify how medical information related to housing matters should be shared with it. This will help to ensure service users can do so in a timely and effective manner.
• The Council will remind relevant officers and managers to comply with their responsibilities under relevant homelessness guidance and legislation. This will help to ensure it fully considers the circumstances of those threatened with homelessness and whether a property is reasonable to occupy.
• The Council will share the Ombudsman's guidance on the principles of good administrative practice with relevant officers and managers. This will help to ensure that communication and complaint handling are done in a timely and effective manner.