Case Ref: 22 003 501 Category: Education Sub Category: School transport

• The Council will review the information it gives school transport panel members to ensure they are aware of the need to keep accurate records of hearings and the panel's decision-making.
• The Council will produce a template letter for school transport appeal decision outcomes. It should ensure staff are prompted to include the information required in the statutory guidance and that it signposts the applicants to the Ombudsman if they remain dissatisfied.
• The Council will remind staff that when a child is out of education, they must consider what action the Council should take; whether that is arranging alternative provision or starting attendance enforcement action.

Case Ref: 22 001 927 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council has agreed to circulate a reminder to relevant staff that when a homelessness applicant provides evidence of a court order for possession of the property, the Council must consider whether it is reasonable for the applicant to occupy the property when deciding which duty is owed.
• The Council has agreed to circulate a reminder to relevant staff about the need to reach a decision on interim accommodation promptly and that the “reason to believe” threshold for this test is low and distinct from assessing whether an applicant is in priority need. This should include a reminder that any such decisions, including any refusals, should be recorded in writing.
• The Council has agreed to review its guidance to staff on interim accommodation decision-making to make sure it is clear to staff that any objections by applicants to Council decisions about whether someone meets the threshold for interim accommodation should be treated as complaints and progressed in line with its complaints process. This should include clear signposting to the Ombudsman at the end of the complaints process. This process should also be clearly embedded in the Council’s complaints procedure.
• The Council has agreed to produce clear guidance to staff on how and when to consider whether they need to make any reasonable adjustments for service users. This should include, for example, asking the service user if the Council needs to make any adjustments in the way it communicates with them to ensure the complainant can fully access its service. The Council should include examples of the types of accommodations that may be reasonable for service users with mental health conditions, including those who explain they are finding it difficult to process technical language. Any decisions on this should be clearly set out in writing to service users. This guidance should be clearly embedded in the Council’s guidance on handling complaints, homelessness and housing register applications.

Case Ref: 21 014 566 Category: Housing Sub Category: Other

• The Council has agreed to share this decision with staff in the relevant departments.
• The Council has agreed to identify and implement learning from this complaint to improve the time taken to address significant repairs and communication among residents, the Council, and its contractors.
• The Council has agreed to remind relevant staff that any decision that temporary accommodation issuitable should set out the statutory right to review and then appeal to court and amend any template letters as necessary.

Case Ref: 21 014 132 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Other

• The Council should identify the reason for the error in its funding codes in Autumn 2021 and consider action to prevent recurrence. The Council should then inform the Ombudsman of the action taken or explain why it considered no action was necessary.

Case Ref: 21 002 915 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• the Council will: review the temporary accommodation transfer process to take account of the key points arising from this complaint and the Elkundi Court of Appeal judgment; and
• arrange a briefing for officers to ensure they clearly communicate decisions about transfer requests and the suitability of temporary accommodation in writing to applicants and inform them of their review rights.

Case Ref: 21 001 259 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Safeguarding

• • Provide evidence of training to all relevant staff on the Pressure Ulcer Protocol, ensuring staff know how to process a request when received

Case Ref: 20 007 935 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Adoption

• The Council agreed to review why the complainant's case was not brought back to the panel promptly or at all to ensure the delays and failures are not repeated in future.
• The Council agreed to take steps to ensure copies of files are sent within agreed timescales in future.
• The Council agreed to remind relevant officers of the need to ensure clear information is given in correspondence to applicants about the respective roles and responsibilities of the Council and the regional adoption agency.
• The Council agreed to look at why the complainant was without a social worker’s support for so long and act to ensure this is not repeated in future.
• The Council agreed to look at why there were gaps in communication with the complainant so this is not repeated on future cases.

Case Ref: 21 003 111 Category: Education Sub Category: School transport

• The Council will review its school transport appeal arrangements to ensure that it accords with the statutory guidance. It will send us a copy of the revised procedure.

Case Ref: 21 000 503 Category: Environment and regulation Sub Category: Noise

• the Council has agreed to: circulate guidance to all relevant staff, reminding them to alert complainants to their rights under section 82 of the Environmental Protection Act, at an early stage of any nuisance investigation
• the Council has agreed to: circulate guidance to all relevant staff on the importance of clearly recording decisions around whether to prosecute if someone fails to comply with or contravenes the requirements of a noise abatement notice, without reasonable excuse. This should include a reminder on communicating this decision to complainants.
• the Council has agreed to: share this decision with relevant staff.