Service improvements

North Yorkshire County Council

Showing service improvements between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2024

Find out more about service improvements

When we find fault, we can recommend improvements to systems and processes where they haven’t worked properly, so that others do not suffer from these same problems in future. Common examples are policy changes; procedural reviews; and staff training. Service improvements from decisions are published for 5 years and those from reports are published for 10 years.

Showing 1 - 5 of 5 cases with service improvements

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Downloads the current filtered list of service improvement decisions for North Yorkshire County Council as a CSV file.

  • North Yorkshire County Council (22 016 258)

    Category: Education Date: 29-Jun-2023

    Summary

    Mrs X complained the Council failed to complete the recommendations it identified as being necessary in October 2022, after it upheld her complaint that it had not provided her son L, with an education for over 12 months. Mrs X said L remained without any educational provision or an up-to-date Education, Health and Care Plan. The Council failed to implement some of its own recommendations, failed to ensure L received the specialist provision from October 2022 to June 2023 and failed to review L’s Education Health and Care Plan in line with the statutory guidance. The Council agreed to pay Mrs X £5,150 to recognise the distress caused and lack of education, and it will issue L’s amended plan within one month.

    Service improvements

    The Council will remind relevant staff: that it is the Council’s duty to ensure the specified special educational provision in an Education, Health and Care Plan for a child or young person is being provided, and it should investigate where a concern is raised that the provision is not in place; andto review Education, Health and Care Plans in line with the statutory guidance and adhere to the timescales set out within it.

  • North Yorkshire County Council (22 004 578)

    Category: Education Date: 24-Nov-2022

    Summary

    The Council failed to ensure Ms X’s daughter, Z, received the education in her April 2021 Education, Health and Care Plan (EHC Plan). It also failed to complete its August 2021 annual review of her EHC Plan, failed to make sufficient efforts to consult alternative education placements and failed to investigate Ms X’s complaints properly. These failings meant Z lost out on education she was entitled to receive for ten term-time months, her EHC Plan was out of date for one year and Ms X and Z lost their right of appeal to the SEND Tribunal. The Council has already paid Ms X £2,080 in recognition of the injustice caused. It has agreed to pay Z a further £920 to reflect the significant period of missed education and £200 to Ms X to reflect the avoidable time and trouble she was put to. It has also agreed to carry out several service improvements.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to carry out renewed training for its Special Educational Needs and Disabilities team on the statutory timescales for completing annual review processes and finalising Education, Health and Care Plans, including when this applies to 'early' annual reviews.The Council has agreed to set out in writing to all of its Special Educational Needs and Disabilities staff why it is important for children, young people and their parents to have up-to-date, finalised, Education, Health and Care Plans in each academic year.The Council has agreed to remind its complaint handling team for special educational needs complaints that if their investigation identifies that the Council has not met its statutory duties around annual reviews and Education, Health and Care Plans, then it should apologise for this and take prompt action to remedy the fault.

  • North Yorkshire County Council (21 007 839)

    Category: Education Date: 22-Nov-2022

    Summary

    The Council was at fault when it produced Mr X’s son’s Education, Health and Care Plan (EHC Plan) seven months late. This caused uncertainty to Mr X and his son as it was unclear what education his son would receive and Mr X lost his right to appeal a key period of provision to the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) Tribunal. The Council has agreed to pay Mr X £1,600 in recognition of the avoidable injustice caused and carry out several service improvements.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to remind relevant staff of theCouncil’s duty to finalise Education, Health and Care Plans within the statutory time frames following annual reviews.The Council has agreed to remind relevant staff of the importance of disagreements over Education, Health and Care Plans being resolved through the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Tribunal where agreement has not been reached within the statutory timescales. It will also remind relevant staff of the importance of ensuring that parents and young people are aware of their appeal rights to enable them to do so.

  • North Yorkshire County Council (21 007 442)

    Category: Education Date: 04-May-2022

    Summary

    Dr B complains the Council delayed in issuing an Education, Health and Care Plan following a re-assessment of her daughter’s needs. The Council has accepted there was a delay in issuing the Plan. We find the Council was also at fault for failing to promptly request advice from professionals involved in her daughter’s care. This caused Dr B distress and she was put to time and trouble. Dr B’s daughter missed out on certain provision in her Plan. To remedy this, the Council has agreed to apologise to Dr B and her daughter and make them a payment. It has also agreed to make certain service improvements.

    Service improvements

    the Council has also agreed to make the following service improvements: circulate a reminder to relevant staff of the statutory timescales for deciding whether to carry out a re-assessment and issuing final EHC plans following a re-assessment of needs. The Council should also highlight the importance of meeting the timescales to ensure the right to appeal the final plan is not delayed, andshare this decision with relevant staff members.

  • North Yorkshire County Council (21 003 354)

    Category: Education Date: 11-Jan-2022

    Summary

    Mr X and Ms Y complained the Council failed to make ‘reasonable endeavours’ to provide for their son, Z’s, special educational needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Council failed to properly consider and make ‘reasonable endeavours’ to arrange Z’s special education when there was an alternative provider available. It also failed to review Z’s personal budget to meet increased costs and to meet other costs Mr X and Ms Y incurred due to fault for which it was responsible. It agreed to apologise, pay these costs and review similar cases.

    Service improvements

    The Council agreed to review other cases of parents who asked for specific alternative special educational or increases in direct payments for special education between May and July 2020. It should review whether it correctly made 'reasonable endeavours' to arrange special education in those cases and whether it correctly applied the Government guidance at the time.

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