Case Ref: 21 004 400 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• The Council has agreed to remind staff the importance of suitably considering all information on an application for the housing register with medical priority.

Case Ref: 21 003 361 Category: Environment and regulation Sub Category: Noise

• The Council has agreed to share the decision with staff and highlight where the noise policy was not followed.
• The Council has agreed to provide further training and guidance to staff about how to apply policies to complaints about noise from construction sites.
• The Council has agreed to discuss with staff the importance of transparency when responding to complaints.
• The Council has agreed to review its policy on noise from construction sites and how it applies this to noise complaints over 75 decibels

Case Ref: 21 002 904 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• Within three months of my final decision, the Council has also agreed to:- circulate guidance to staff on the need to provide clear reasons to applicants on medical priority decisions, which explains how it has weighed any conflicting evidence from applicants or health professionals involved with the applicant’s care and its own medical advisers. The Council should review any template letters to ensure there are clear directions on when it is necessary for staff to include such reasons;- circulate a reminder to staff on the need to consider whether an applicant has a housing need under its allocations scheme and may qualify for Band 2, Group B priority while an applicant has not proven a local connection; and,- share this decision with relevant staff.

Case Ref: 21 001 003 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• • Provide the Ombudsman with a copy of the Council’s domestic abuse policy and procedure for domestic abuse homelessness applications/assessment.
• • Provide the Ombudsman with evidence of the housing officers domestic abuse training. Both the content and schedule.

Case Ref: 20 008 411 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• The Council has agreed to remind staff to tell homeless housing applicants they should make an application to join the Housing Register if the Council makes a homelessness decision so it can award the correct priority banding.
• The Council has agreed to remind staff to review existing applicants banding on the Housing Register when the Council has made a homelessness decision in the applicants’ favour.

Case Ref: 20 007 009 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• The Council agreed to review its processes to ensure the reason for the delay in dealing with the change of address form is identified and steps are taken to avoid any future possible repetition.
• The Council agreed to review its processes to ensure applicants are clearly told what is and what is not reviewable and what may come within the complaints procedure instead.
• The Council agreed to review why the complainant was not told about the non-reviewability of his request for 6 months and make sure it cannot be repeated in the future.

Case Ref: 20 005 385 Category: Other Categories Sub Category: COVID-19

• The Council will review its existing procedures and carry out liaison with Allotment Societies in its area to ensure that Allotment Societies are briefed on the Ombudsman’s view of our jurisdiction to investigate complaints which fall under their complaint procedures and that the Council’s has a responsibility to ensure an appropriate remedy is provided where a complaint is upheld; that Allotment Society complaint procedures provide appropriate signposting to this organisation; that Allotment societies in the Council’s area are signposted to our principles of good complaint handling available via our website andthat appropriate staff within the Council are briefed to ensure they provide appropriate signposting if contacted by someone who wishes to complain about a matter pertaining to the management of allotments in its ownership

Case Ref: 20 002 305 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Safeguarding

• The Council has agreed to confirm the steps taken to ensure relevant parties have been reminded of the need to inform the Care Quality Commission and the Data Barring Service in appropriate circumstances; to confirm all relevant staff have been reminded of the requirements of the complaints procedure; and to identify and progress any training needs in this regard.

Case Ref: 20 002 262 Category: Environment and regulation Sub Category: Refuse and recycling

• The Council will review how it carries out agreed actions from investigations by the Ombudsman to ensure these are completed on time.

Case Ref: 19 020 804 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council has agreed to remind officers that, even in cases where interim accommodation has been provided, they should aim to meet the recommended timescales for reaching decisions on applications; prepare a personal housing plan; and refer to the relief / prevention duties, as appropriate, so that applicants can understand the Council’s duties towards them.