Case Ref: 25 010 749 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• Implement the action plan, as detailed in its formal enquiry response to the Ombudsman, to address the issue of delay. The Council should provide us with evidence it has complied with the above actions for the first 6-month period and continue to implement agreed recommendations thereafter.

Case Ref: 25 002 786 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council agreed to review its process and consider how it will ensure medical records are received in a timely manner for the medical assessment to take place.

Case Ref: 25 000 607 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council has also agreed to remind all staff involved in suitability assessments that they must issue a written decision with details of the right of review.

Case Ref: 25 000 331 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council will review its compensation policy so that it allows for homeless applicants to be reimbursed for costs they incur due to disrepair in temporary accommodation provided to them under the Council's housing duty.
• The Council will remind housing staff who deal with temporary accommodation suitability reviews to ensure review decisions are clearly recorded and a decision letter is sent to the applicant.

Case Ref: 24 022 480 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• the Council has agreed to circulate guidance to relevant staff, to ensure they are aware that complaints about conditions in temporary accommodation (as distinct from permanent social housing) fall within the jurisdiction of the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, and not the Housing Ombudsman Service.

Case Ref: 24 021 488 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• Remind relevant officers that where a household in temporary accommodation raises concerns about disrepair, health impacts, or suitability, the Council should consider whether these issues require a reassessment of suitability. Any decision not to review should be clearly documented, with reasons.

Case Ref: 24 019 448 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• guidance or training to officers on how to verify if an applicant is homeless
• remind officers to refer review requests to the review team

Case Ref: 24 016 426 Category: Benefits and tax Sub Category: Housing benefit and council tax benefit

• The Council has agreed to ensure that complaints are properly investigated and responded to within its published timescales.

Case Ref: 24 016 246 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council will issue a briefing to relevant staff to remind them of the Council’s duty to keep suitability under review, and recognise the types of communications from service users which should trigger the Council to carry out a review of suitability. This will help to ensure the correct decision-making process is followed and service users are not denied the opportunity to request a section 202 suitability of accommodation review.
• The Council will issue a briefing to relevant staff to remind them of the importance of actioning notifications of changes in circumstances and new medical information from service users in a timely manner. This will help to ensure there are no delays in the process of making a new suitability decision.

Case Ref: 24 015 600 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• the Council has agreed to tell us what steps it will take to ensure its written communications provide adequate information for homeless applicants to make informed decisions throughout the homelessness application process. This includes telling applicants the Council may close their case if they do not provide information within the given deadline, and if applicants use their legal right to remain in their home until the court issues a warrant or bailiffs they may incur costs.