Case Ref: 22 008 234 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council has agreed to demonstrate that it has reminded Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) staff of the deadlines around Education Health and Care needs assessments and issuing draft and final Education Health and Care Plans.
• The Council's communication and complaint handling was poor when considering an Education Health and Care Plan. The Council has agreed to show its complaint handling team this case and remind complaint handling staff that their complaint responses should assess what has gone wrong, explain what has gone wrong to complainants and seek to remedy any injustice caused by the Council where possible.

Case Ref: 22 006 830 Category: Environment and regulation Sub Category: Refuse and recycling

• Prepare a briefing for relevant staff on the Equality Act, the public sector equality duty, and the need to consider and make reasonable adjustments.

Case Ref: 22 001 497 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council will remind relevant staff of the need to consider whether previous domestic abuse means a housing applicant is vulnerable, and record how it has considered this.

Case Ref: 22 000 866 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council has agreed to ensure its managing agents have arrangements in place for individual billing of utilities when placing residents in temporary accommodation with communal areas.

Case Ref: 22 000 662 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• • Present this case to the relevant committee to consider how the service failure in relation to supply of temporary accommodation can be addressed

Case Ref: 22 000 354 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• The Council has agreed to ensure it notifies applicants of the right to request a review of decisions made about the allocations scheme.
• The Council has agreed to ensure all housing staff are aware of the need to provide complete and accurate advice about homelessness, including the requirement to take a homeless application where they have reason to believe a person may be homeless.

Case Ref: 21 016 956 Category: Other Categories Sub Category: Other

• The Council should review its procedures for maintaining records of its executive key decisions and non-key decisions.
• The Council should review its guidance to officers and councillors about the requirement to have regard to the principle of transparency and openness in the decision-making process and its communications with parties affected by proposed decisions.

Case Ref: 21 016 908 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Other

• The Council will develop its policies and procedure to ensure decisions about the participation of birth parents in adoption reviews are discussed between the social worker and independent reviewing officer are clearly documented in the care records, and birth parents are informed of those decisions.
• The Council will develop its policies and procedure to ensure independent reviewing officers record contact with the children's guardian in children's case records during adoption processes.
• The Council will develop its policies and procedure to ensure birth parents understand the reason why their child's name may be changed during the adoption process.
• The Council will develop its policies and procedure to implement guidance for birth parents about who will keep them updated during the adoption process, and in what circumstances.
• The Council will develop its policies and procedure to ensure its children's complaints procedure is in line with the guidance. It will ensure all reasonable steps are taken to locate and interview named practitioners during complaint investigations. It will ensure its adjudication letters follows the guidance 'Getting the Best from Complaints', and clearly documents its reasoning if it deviates from the guidance. It will ensure the adjudicating officer maintains oversight of complaints until the actions and recommendations are completed.

Case Ref: 21 014 560 Category: Education Sub Category: Alternative provision

• The Council will remind relevant officers of the Council’s statutory duties under Section 19 of the Education Act 1996, specifically regarding the requirement to assist pupils with long-term non-attendance irrespective of whether they remain on a school roll. This could be in the form of a briefing paper or staff training.
• Remind relevant officers of the Council’s statutory duties under Regulation 13 of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations 2014. This could be in the form of a briefing paper or staff training.

Case Ref: 21 011 698 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• •Remind staff to ensure the correct timeframes are given when notifying applicants about their right to request a review