Case Ref: 25 012 138 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Fostering

• Within three months, the Council will review its practice for considering complaint payment recommendations to ensure consistency and recording of decision making.

Case Ref: 25 004 116 Category: Environment and regulation Sub Category: Refuse and recycling

• The Council was at fault for not telling the residents of flats there was a ten-metre limit for the crew to move the bins and for missing collections. The Council has agreed to review the situation and propose a long-term solution that resolves the problems with collections and vermin in a way the contractor can comply with. It has agreed to fully fund any additional works or bin relocation.

Case Ref: 25 002 805 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• The Council agreed to ensure relevant officers are aware of the need to explore whether a household is legally statutory overcrowded when an applicant in temporary accommodation raises overcrowding as a concern.
• The Council agreed to provide evidence the failure at stage 1 of the complaints process to identify this as unsuitable accommodation was addressed.
• The Council agreed to ensure relevant officers are aware of the need to keep under review the ongoing suitability of temporary accommodation when overcrowding is raised by an applicant.

Case Ref: 24 022 022 Category: Benefits and tax Sub Category: Council tax

• BinJ to review its procedures within two months of LGSCO decision to ensure that: a) all council tax staff can differentiate between matters carrying aright of appeal and those which are for the complaints procedure, and can take correct action on each; and b) its standard letters, website, and other relevant correspondence provide information about council tax liability appeals.

Case Ref: 24 021 802 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council agreed to review processes to ensure relevant officers are aware of the correct legal test when considering the Council’s duty to secure interim accommodation when processing homeless applications.
• The Council agreed to review processes to ensure section 184 decisions are made according to statutory timescales.
• The Council agreed to review why the complaint was not dealt with under its complaints procedure according to stated timescales and ensure these are met on future cases.

Case Ref: 24 020 522 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• Remind staff of the Council’s legal duty to ensure applicants are in suitable accommodation which is free from disrepair or hazards

Case Ref: 24 020 018 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• Remind staff of the Council’s requirement to comply with agreements and directions made as part of a Tribunal order
• Remind staff to adhere to the Council’s complaints procedure

Case Ref: 24 014 177 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• The Council agreed to review its procedures and protocols to ensure: i) proper records are made, retained, and checked about temporary accommodation where tenants are moved because of its poor condition; ii) checks are made before moving an applicant into such a property to ensure any remedial works necessary were done to make it suitable to let.
• The Council agreed to review why a housing needs assessment was not done before moving the complainant in to the property and remind relevant officers of the need to do them.
• The Council agreed to review why delays happened in responding to reports about the property’s condition and act to ensure these cannot be repeated on future cases.
• The Council agreed to remind relevant officers of the need to keep interim/temporary accommodation’s suitability under review during its occupation.
• The Council agreed to review why there were failures with the complaints procedure and act to ensure these cannot be repeated on future cases.

Case Ref: 24 014 029 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council agreed to carry out a review to identify the reasons why the section 202 review did not take place within 8 weeks and act to ensure the delay experienced on this case is not repeated on future cases.
• The Council agreed to remind relevant staff of the need to record decisions about suitability.
• The Council agreed to remind relevant staff of the need to promptly inform applicants of the decision about suitability.

Case Ref: 24 013 200 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• set out action taken to improve delays in the Review Team