Case Ref: 24 012 379 Category: Environment and regulation Sub Category: Other

• Remind staff to keep reports of rat and mice infestations under review in order to avoid delays in the actions taken by the Council as part of its duties under the Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949.

Case Ref: 24 001 991 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Fostering

• The Council agreed to review why it failed to send a copy of the exemption/variation to the number of children the complainant could foster and act to ensure these are promptly considered and sent to foster carers when made on future cases.
• The Council agreed to ensure there are procedures in place when social workers are off work, for foster carers to still receive the required supervision/support.

Case Ref: 23 020 425 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Transition from childrens services

• By training or other means, the Council will take action to ensure relevant complaint handling staff are aware of their responsibilities to identify complaints that should be dealt with under the statutory procedure.
• The Council will take action to ensure that Children in Need assessments are subject to regular review.

Case Ref: 23 011 903 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Disabled children

• The Council write to the complainant outlining how it and the ICB have improved or plan to improve their commissioning and oversight of agencies providing children's continuing care at home.

Case Ref: 24 009 747 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• Within three months of the decision, the Council will review its process for dealing with complaints of disrepair. It will ensure its process includes checking with the complainant that the landlord has done what they say they have, and will remind all relevant staff to do this.

Case Ref: 24 007 708 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council will provide the Ombudsman with an action plan setting out the efforts it is making to reduce delays in the Education, Health and Care Plan process including delays in obtaining educational psychologist advice.

Case Ref: 24 006 946 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council will carry out a training session for officers making decisions on homeless applications to cover:the point at which a review right applies when a referral is being considered to another local authority;the Council’s requirement to provide accommodation until the conditions for referral are agreed where an applicant is considered to have a priority need;the Council’s discretionary power to provide accommodation while considering a review request.

Case Ref: 24 001 809 Category: Environment and regulation Sub Category: Refuse and recycling

• The Council will issue a briefing to relevant staff members including those who work for the contractor to remind them of the importance of returning bins to the agreed collection point for people registered to receive assisted collections. This will help to ensure all people registered to receive assisted collections receive the service they are signed up for.

Case Ref: 23 020 138 Category: Other Categories Sub Category: Councillor conduct and standards

• The Council agreed to write to officers that handle complaints about councillors reminding them to signpost complainants to the Ombudsman on completion of the Council’s complaints procedure.
• The Council agreed to update its website to ensure people making complaints about councillors are told about their right to complain to the Ombudsman.

Case Ref: 23 009 817 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, specifically around holding annual reviews and delay in the EHC Plan 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.