Case Ref: 21 012 979 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Domiciliary care

• The Council will confirm to the complainants and the Ombudsmen specifically what measures have been taken to address the failings by the care agency and prevent similar failings with lack of carer visits in future.

Case Ref: 21 010 664 Category: Transport and highways Sub Category: Parking and other penalties

• The Council will review its debt recovery procedures to develop a policy for vulnerable debtors. It will report back to the Ombudsman with the outcome.

Case Ref: 21 001 348 Category: Housing Sub Category: Other

• the Council has agreed to: review its procedures and guidance to officers about providing information to applicants about its rent incentive scheme.
• issue a briefing note to remind officers of these procedures and guidance and advise them about any changes made.
• c) issue a briefing note to remind officers of the provisions of 6.35 of the Code and the procedure for applicants served with section 21 notices

Case Ref: 21 003 768 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Assessment and care plan

• The Council has agreed to issue written reminders to relevant staff to ensure they must act in a timely manner when a service user or their representative asks for a review of their care and support needs.

Case Ref: 21 003 663 Category: Housing Sub Category: Private housing

• The Council has agreed to take steps to ensure officers carrying out inspections under the HHSRS, always keep proper records of the visits and their findings, including identifying whether any category one or two hazards have been found.

Case Ref: 21 002 037 Category: Education Sub Category: COVID-19

• The Council will take steps to identify and contact others with EHC plans who may have been similarly affected by the lack of therapy services, and ensure that the impact of missed sessions is accounted for, with future provision amended as necessary.

Case Ref: 21 000 799 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council was at fault for its delay in issuing a homelessness decision letter and then its delay in issuing a Personal Housing Plan for seven months. It has agreed to circulate our decision statement to its housing officers and relevant staff to highlight the faults found around the delay in issuing the decision letter, the delay in issuing the Personal Housing Plan and for failing to regularly review it. The Council will consider whether to include the findings in relevant training to prevent recurrence of the faults.

Case Ref: 20 014 185 Category: Housing Sub Category: Other

• Provide training to its noise nuisance and antisocial behaviour teams about the importance of accurate recording keeping in complaints about noise nuisance and antisocial behaviour. This should include training about logging complaints, recording notes of site visits and analysis of evidence such as noise recordings.

Case Ref: 20 013 366 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: COVID-19

• The Council has agreed to work with Churchfields Nursing Home to ensure it has suitable arrangements in place for receiving visitors.

Case Ref: 20 012 044 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Disabled facilities grants

• The Council has agreed to share this decision with staff in the relevant departments.
• The Council has agreed to produce an action plan showing how the Council will prevent the delays in this case happening again. These should be measurable actions with timescales for achievement.
• The Council has agreed to remind relevant staff of the importance of meeting the timescales in the complaints policy.
• The Council has agreed to remind relevant staff that complaint responses should clearly indicate whether a complaint is upheld, and if so, what the Council will do to put things right. The Council should provide further training as needed.