Case Ref: 24 000 538 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council will remind officers in the complaints team to send periodic update emails to people who have complained and are overdue complaint responses.
• The Council will provide us with a written report of how it has reduced the numbers of requests for Education Health and Care Needs Assessments that are delayed. We will require the figures from August 2023 to the end of December 2024. The Council will need to demonstrate a reduction in waiting times.

Case Ref: 23 012 234 Category: Education Sub Category: School transport

• The Council will ensure a copy of this final decision is considered by the relevant scrutiny committee and cabinet member; and share a copy of the final decision with all staff dealing with complaints about school transport.
• The Council will review its school transport policy so that it reflects the statutory guidance. In particular, the Council should ensure that the policy reminds decision makers to take account of the applicant parent’s own circumstances and abilities; and that the nearest qualifying school is that which is appropriate to the child’s age, ability, and aptitude, regardless of wheher it is named in an Education Health and Care Plan.
• Deliver training to relevant staff and panel members on the revised policy.

Case Ref: 23 003 991 Category: Education Sub Category: Alternative provision

• The Council will put in place oversight/monitoring as needed so that any lack of action by an education welfare officer in relation to school attendance is picked up and escalated promptly.

Case Ref: 23 002 461 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• The Council will issue written reminders to relevant officers to ensure when they are dealing with housing applications they give proper scrutiny to supporting evidence and explain their reasons for not relying on evidence where they decide not to.

Case Ref: 23 002 138 Category: Environment and regulation Sub Category: Refuse and recycling

• Share this decision with staff dealing with bin requests to highlight the need to properly communicate with service users and keep them informed of reasons for any delays.

Case Ref: 23 001 419 Category: Education Sub Category: School transport

• The Council will provide training to staff on how to apply the Dudley Test for pupils with Education, Health and Care plans applying for school transport.
• The Council will review its information for parents of pupils with Education, Health and Care plans to ensure it explains the 'Dudley Test' and accurate information about school transport is available at the time parents need to express a preference of school. The information should also advise parents of their right to appeal to the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal if they disagree with two schools being named on the Education, Health and Care plan with the proviso parents pay for transport.
• The Council will identify other cases where it failed to apply the Dudley test and where relevant offer transport and reimburse expenses.

Case Ref: 23 001 411 Category: Education Sub Category: School transport

• The Council will provide training and updated guidance to all relevant staff (Special Educational Needs and Disability and transport teams, appeal members) on how to apply the Dudley test for pupils with Education, Health and Care plans.
• The Council will ensure its information for parents whose children have Education, Health and Care plans references the Dudley test and they are signposted to accurate information about transport at the time they need to express a preference for a particular school. The information should advise parents of their right of appeal to the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal if they disagree with the Council’s decision on naming two schools or a decision on inefficient use of resources.
• The Council will review other cases where it has failed to apply the Dudley Test when considering school transport applications for pupils with Education, Health and Care plans. Where it has wrongly denied transport it will offer transport and reimburse any expenses.

Case Ref: 22 015 452 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council has agreed to identify and implement a system to ensure the Council keeps track of annual reviews and when the four-week timescale to decide whether to amend, maintain, or cease an Education, Health and Care plan starts and ends. The Council should ensure all decision letters following annual reviews are sent within this period.
• The Council has agreed to review its practice of requiring children with EHC Plans to apply for school admissions through the standard admissions process and ensure this does not interfere with the right to request a particular school or type of school during the draft EHC plan process and the statutory right to appeal the content of Section I.

Case Ref: 22 013 911 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• Remind staff of our guidance on how we expect councils to fulfil their responsibilities to provide education for children who, for whatever reason, do not attend school full-time.
• Review its policies and procedures to ensure it retains oversight and responsibility for its duties to children unable to attend school.

Case Ref: 22 008 652 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Friends and family carers

• The Council will recalculate special guardianship allowance back to 1 January 2020 for all those affected by its flawed working practice that was quashed by the Court in July 2022.