Case Ref: 22 013 016 Category: Planning Sub Category: Enforcement

• The Council will remind staff of the importance of arranging monitoring visits within an appropriate timescale of a dangerous structure notice
• The Council will remind staff of the importance of including their rationale, whether it is allowing the owner to undertake repairs or undertaking that duty itself, with reference to the Council’s policy.

Case Ref: 22 010 636 Category: Education Sub Category: School transport

• The Council should remind the travel assistance appeal panel and clerk to the panel that their decision letters should set out brief details of the grounds raised and the reasoning for its decision.
• The Council should remind officers that early decision letters regarding applications for travel assistance should refer to exceptional reasons raised and should briefly address these.

Case Ref: 22 010 125 Category: Education Sub Category: COVID-19

• The Council has agreed to provide evidence of the reasonable adjustment policy used by the company acting on its behalf when assessing applications for blue badges.
• The Council has agreed to remind staff of the proactive duty to make reasonable adjustments under the Equality Act and ensure blue badge decision letters are correct.

Case Ref: 22 009 145 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council will review its practices and guidance to staff on when to refer acomplaint as a service request and when to process this under the complaints procedure, so that complainants can access this. The Council will show how it has communicated this to the relevant staff.

Case Ref: 22 000 925 Category: Transport and highways Sub Category: Traffic management

• By training or other means remind staff of the importance of dealing with residents’ complaints in a timely manner and in accordance with the Council’s complaints procedure. Explain to the Ombudsman how the Council will monitor performance against timescales.

Case Ref: 22 008 765 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• Within 3 months, the Council agreed to review the working arrangements between its housing and homelessness teams to ensure both teams are clear about the different responsibilities abd tgere are ckear escakation routes to resolve any disagreements.
• The Council agreed to review its record keeping and oversight arrangements within its homelessness team. It should ensure that, particularly in unusual cases such as reciprocal transfers, that key actions are recorded, monitored and that cases can be reallocated between staff without a loss of information
• The Council agreed to remind both education and children's services staff that parents may ask for EHC assessments in different ways, sometime without explicitly referring to an 'EHC assessment'. It should remind staff that if the Council requires a request to be made in a specific way, it should direct parents to that process when it is clear they wish to accesse it; and
• The Council agreed to remind staff responsible for responding to complaints: 1. .that where someone complaints about other Council services, the Council should provide a coordinated response to the complaint: and2. .the importance of responding within the timescales set out in the Council's complaints procedure or keeping complainants' informed where this is not possible

Case Ref: 22 004 599 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Child protection

• The Council agreed to review the working arrangements between its housing and homelessness teams to ensure both teams are clear about the different responsibilities and there are clear escalations routes to resolve any disagreements.
• The Council agreed to review its record keeping and oversight arrangements within its homelessness team. It should ensure that, particularly in unusual cases such as reciprocal transfers, that key actions are recorded, monitored and that cases can be reallocated between staff without a loss of information.
• The Council agreed to remind both education and children’s services staff that parents may ask for Education Health and Care assessments in different ways, sometimes without explicitly referring to the assessment specifically. It should remind staff that if the Council requires a request to be made in a specific way, it should direct parents to that process when it is clear they wish to access it.
• The Council agreed to remind staff responsible for responding to complaints:that where someone complains about other Council services, the Council should provide a coordinated response to the complaint; andthe importance of responding within the timescales set out in the Council’s complaints procedure or keeping complainants informed where this is not possible.

Case Ref: 22 004 413 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• The Council will review its process for commissioning occupational therapist assessments and provide guidance to relevant staff about when and how to consider seeking specialist advice or commission a specialist occupational therapist to carry out the assessment.
• The Council will remind relevant staff of the need to keep clear records of the Council's reasons for refusing housing requests and to communicate its reasons to service users.

Case Ref: 21 018 402 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Transport

• The Council will amend its include information about when the blue badge assessment starts and ends.

Case Ref: 21 018 113 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Assessment and care plan

• The Council has agreed to ensure its staff are aware council tenants can apply for a Disabled Facilities Grant although this will be funded differently.