Case Ref: 24 006 835 Category: Housing Sub Category: Private housing

• The Council was at fault in the way it responded to a complaint about landlord harassment. It has agreed to create and implement a policy regarding its powers to respond to complaints of harassment and illegal eviction and retaliatory evictions by private landlords. The policy should specify which team or teams are responsible for identifying potential victims, investigating, and providing information and advice.
• The Council was at fault in the way it recorded inspections of a privately rented house. It has agreed to put a plan in place to ensure an accurate record is prepared and kept of any inspection of aresidential premises, that includes a record of whether the Council considerany category 1 or 2 hazards exist. The plan will explain where the Council considers that a category 1 hazard exists; it musttake the appropriate enforcement action as laid out in section 5 of the HousingAct 2005.

Case Ref: 23 020 213 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• The Council will review how it makes housing applicants aware of their review rights in cases of a one-time direct offer for rehousing, as well as how it assesses and records decisions about the suitability of accommodation before and after a property is offered. The Council will adopt measures to improve its service in these areas. This should include sending written information about an applicant’s review rights at the time of making a property offer, and when that right is engaged and expires.

Case Ref: 24 005 131 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council has agreed to consider how it can make its processes quicker for providing homeless applicants with their first month’s rent and deposit, particularly given the competitive and fast-paced nature of the private rental market.
• The Council has agreed to investigate why the homeless person, in this case, was not told they had been automatically added to the housing register, or when their banding changed, and will take action to prevent recurrence of this fault in future.

Case Ref: 24 004 818 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council will remind relevant staff of the nee to properly explain the reasons for housing register review decisions.

Case Ref: 24 003 751 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Other

• The Council will provide the Ombudsman with evidence it has completed a review of its parent/carer assessment process as recommended by a children's statutory complaint procedure investigation. The Council will identify any action it intends to take as a result of that review and a timebound plan of when it intends to complete the actions.

Case Ref: 24 002 861 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• Look at what went wrong in this case and consider what changes the Council can make to: 1. Ensure it issues an amended Education, Health and Care Plan within 12 weeks of an annual review meeting.2. Ensure it has procedures in place to enable it to review and amend Education, Health and Care Plan’s by the statutory deadlines for children and young people who are at key phases of education.

Case Ref: 23 020 327 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Residential care

• The Council will remind relevant staff to involve relatives in decisions regarding moving care home placements.
• The Council will review its procedures to ensure it provides in writing relevant information to the service user or their representatives when there is a change in funding arrangements for care home placements.

Case Ref: 23 019 405 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• The Council will prepare an action plan to improve its record keeping within the Prevention and Assessment Service.
• The Council will send a full review of its complaint handling processes and system, carried out following the Council’s letter of 5 April 2024.
• The Council will ensure its Housing and Inclusive Economy Scrutiny Committee review this decision at the next available committee meeting.

Case Ref: 23 016 128 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Other

• The Council will complete a review of its short breaks arrangements which was recommended by an independent panel investigating a children's statutory complaint. The Council will produce a timebound action plan for any improvements it intends to make as a result of the review.
• The Council will remind relevant officers that handle complaints that where a complainant has requested a stage three panel in the children’s statutory complaint process, the stage three panel should be held within 30 days and the Council should respond within a further 20 days.

Case Ref: 23 012 930 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Domiciliary care

• The Council will remind all relevant staff of the need to ensure that all care plans are reviewed 6-8 weeks after they are signed off, and of its complaints policy timelines.