Case Ref: 22 000 090 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council was at fault for failing to respond to a complaint in December 2021. It will review how it missed responding to the complaint and take action as needed to prevent recurrence of the fault. It will also remind its staff to adhere to the complaint handling timescales set out in its policy.
• The Council will remind relevant officers of the need to finalise Education, Health and Care Plans within the statutory timescales.
• The Council was at fault for delays in the annual review process, for not providing suitable education, and for poor complaint handling. The Council will discuss the findings of the case at an appropriate committee or cabinet meeting. This is to ensure the Council's leaders have awareness of the delay finalising the Education, Health and Care plan and its failure to provide a child with suitable education and can consider if actions are needed to improve its services.
• The Council will review its school planning and commissioning arrangements to ensure the special educational provisions available are sufficient to meet the needs of children and young people with special educational needs in its area.

Case Ref: 21 017 982 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Other

• The Council has agreed to complete a review of record-keeping in its multi-agency safeguarding hub.

Case Ref: 21 014 264 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council will review how it records and confirms email addresses for using during statutory procedures for Education, Health and Care plans and remind relevant staff of the importance of periodically reviewing and confirming the same.
• The Council will provide evidence its Special Educational Needs Casework Coordinator tracks reviews and reminds Special Educational Needs Officers when reviews are due which it said it implemented as a result of a complaint.
• The Council will ensure it provides a list of people who will require an Education, Health and Care plan review each term to all relevant headteachers and principals of schools, colleges and other institutions, at least two weeks before the start of each term in line with the statutory guidance.

Case Ref: 21 010 769 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council will review its processes to ensure more timely consultation of schools and annual review processes for Education, Health and Care plans.
• The Council will review its processes to ensure when a child with an Education, Health and Care plan is out of school a right of appeal is provided at the earliest opportunity.
• The Council will review its processes to ensure when a child is unable to attend a school alternative education provided by the Council is suitable, fulltime and on par with what a child would receive within school and that alternative provision is put in place without delay.

Case Ref: 21 010 344 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Adoption

• The Council agreed to remind relevant staff that where there are concerns about the actions of foster carers, these and any actions required, are accurately recorded and followed up. Also the Council will remind them to give, and record giving, clear, timely advice when they have concerns including, where relevant, the potential consequences of not following that advice.

Case Ref: 21 008 862 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• •Inform the Ombudsman and Ms X of the steps it has taken to review its processes and procedures around the use of reduced timetables and provision for young people who are out of education.
• •Any review should also involve an assessment of how to improve the communication between departments in the Council so that, for instance, the attendance team is always immediately informed when a child is receiving part-time provision.

Case Ref: 21 007 767 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Friends and family carers

• The Council will remind relevant staff of the need to make referrals to other councils without delay once it is clear that a child will be living in another council area.
• The Council will provide training to relevant staff on placing children with family members, which will include the need to clarify the basis of the placement at an early stage, and the need to provide families with information about what support they may be entitled to and how to access it.

Case Ref: 21 007 684 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council will remind relevant staff of the importance of adhering to statutory timescales when reviewing Education, Health and Care plans, even where there is a delay in the consultation process.

Case Ref: 21 007 422 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• the Council has also agreed to: circulate a reminder to relevant staff that, when the Council decides to end an EHC plan, it must continue to maintain the EHC plan until the time has passed for bringing an appeal or, when an appeal has been registered, until it has been concluded;
• circulate a reminder to relevant staff that any decision to cease to maintain an EHC plan must be made within four weeks of the annual review meeting; and
• share this decision with relevant staff members.

Case Ref: 21 003 092 Category: Education Sub Category: Alternative provision

• Review its practices for conducting Annual Reviews to ensure they are conducted in line with the SEND Code of Practice.
• Conduct a review of Y’s case and identify service improvements to be implemented for the benefit of service users in the future.