Case Ref: 19 007 558 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Adoption

• The Council will write to the Ombudsman and state whether the matter has been considered by the ICO. When the ICO’s investigation is complete,the Council will inform the Ombudsman of the result.

Case Ref: 20 002 774 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Transport

• Within eight weeks of my final decision, the Council will also arrange training for its blue badge decision makers regarding the requirements of the DfT guidance, particularly regarding the assessment of those with ‘hidden’ disabilities. The Council will also remind officers about transparent decision-making; ensuring that decision letters are signed by the officer who made the decision. The Council should also ensure its final response letters include signposting to the LGSCO.

Case Ref: 20 001 923 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Assessment and care plan

• The Council has agreed to remind relevant staff to check and confirm service users’ personal details to ensure the Council maintains accurate records.

Case Ref: 19 019 942 Category: Education Sub Category: School admissions

• As part of its continuing review and monitoring of its school admission appeals process the Council agreed to review the way it records panels' decision-making to ensure the decisions at the key stages are clearly identified.

Case Ref: 19 017 181 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• Carry out a review of the procedures and actions of its temporary accommodation team to ensue it is doing all it can to provide alternative accommodation without delay.

Case Ref: 19 015 171 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Assessment and care plan

• Review what went wrong in this case, identify lessons learned, and implement any changes needed to ensure that these faults do not recur.

Case Ref: 19 014 134 Category: Benefits and tax Sub Category: Housing benefit and council tax benefit

• The Council will remind staff of the importance of confirming decisions about discretionary housing payments in writing to an applicant and remind staff of the importance of ensuring appeals against housing benefit decisions are treated as appeals and not as complaints.

Case Ref: 19 013 389 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• The Council has agreed to put in place a method for ensuring any agreed reasonable adjustments are prominently highlighted to officers.
• The Council has agreed to create a process to track open homelessness cases to reduce delays.
• The Council has agreed to highlight the failings in this case to its officers to prevent similar failings in future.

Case Ref: 19 012 145 Category: Benefits and tax Sub Category: Other

• Remind officers to note information received regarding potential vulnerability on its system and ensure they consider vulnerability in accordance with its policy before taking any business rate recovery action

Case Ref: 19 008 559 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• the Council will: issue a briefing note to officers who prepare Personalised Housing Plans (PHP) to draw their attention to the legal duty to consider the applicant’s support needs and record this information in the PHP
• review a sample of PHPs for applicants who are disabled to ensure officers assess and record information about any identified support needs;
• ensure a robust process is in place to update an applicant’s contact details promptly so notification letters are always sent to the correct address;
• remind case officers to make a note of discussions with applicants about the status of accommodation offered and the consequences for any housing duty owed.