Case Ref: 23 006 486 Category: Environment and regulation Sub Category: Other

• The Council will explore the cause of the errors so these can be addressed through training and increased awareness of its internal enforcement policy.

Case Ref: 23 006 005 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council will remind relevant officers of the need to complete a Domestic Abuse, Stalking and Honour-based Violence (DASH) assessment at the earliest opportunity where an applicant says they are at risk of domestic abuse, violence or stalking.

Case Ref: 23 002 260 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• Review its procedures for dealing with disclosures of domestic abuse to ensure officers consider all options for safe housing such a management transfers and increased priority under the housing allocations scheme.
• Draw up an action plan, with clear timescales, for reducing the delays in dealing with medical assessments.
• Amend its template letters to ensure the Council includes details of how applicants can seek a review of the Council’s decision on their housing priority band.

Case Ref: 22 017 841 Category: Environment and regulation Sub Category: Refuse and recycling

• Provide guidance to relevant Council staff to ensure they are aware of and understand the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs guidance on the use of fixed penalties for domestic waste receptacle offences.

Case Ref: 22 014 710 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Charging

• Remind the payment finance team to escalate invoicing problems to the quality assurance team.
• Discuss the invoicing problems with the care provider to ensure there is a plan in place to prevent future delays.
• Discuss with the care provider how it is ensuring the accuracy of invoicing for all service users for the period January to September 2022.

Case Ref: 22 013 615 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council will reflect on the issues raised in this decision statement and identify any areas of service improvement, including delay in the EHCP process. The Council should prepare a short report setting out what the Council intends to do to ensure similar problems do not reoccur. This report should be sent to the Ombudsman.

Case Ref: 22 013 334 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council will provide evidence of its intended staff training on communication and early contact with homeless applicants to avoid undue delay in the homeless support and prevention process.
• The Council will review how it ensures accommodation offered under its relief duty is suitable to meet the space and bed needs of eligible homeless applicants and their family members.

Case Ref: 22 013 081 Category: Environment and regulation Sub Category: Antisocial behaviour

• The Council will provide the Ombudsman with a copy of its re-drafted community trigger policy and the associated training schedule, which will include training for Council staff and relevant partners.

Case Ref: 22 012 618 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council will issue written reminders to relevant staff to ensure they make referrals, where appropriate, to medical professionals when a homeless applicant raises concerns about the suitability of their temporary accommodation on medical grounds.

Case Ref: 22 009 847 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• the Council will issue a written note reminding officers: to consider all relevant factors, including any needs arising from the health needs or disability of the household members, when they decide if a placement is suitable for the applicant and their household; and
• to accurately record property descriptions on the database to avoid making unsuitable offers of accommodation to applicants.