Service improvements

Plymouth City Council

Showing service improvements between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026

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 - 7 of 7 cases with service improvements

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Downloads the current filtered list of service improvement decisions for Plymouth City Council as a CSV file.

  • Plymouth City Council (25 005 330)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 17-Mar-2026

    Summary

    Mrs X complained about the actions of the care provider commissioned by the Council to provide residential care for her late mother, Mrs Z. Mrs X complained the care provider failed to properly investigate safeguarding concerns. She also complained about the conduct of the staff members who carried out the investigation. Mrs X said the care provider’s actions contributed to her mother’s death and worsened her own distress at a time of grief. We found fault. The Council has agreed to provide an apology and a financial remedy to Mrs X and review the service improvement plan regarding the care provider.

    Service improvements

    Carry out a review of the service improvement plan to determine whether all actions have been completed/satisfied, and to take appropriate steps to ensure any outstanding actions are completed/resolved.

  • Plymouth City Council (25 005 090)

    Category: Housing Date: 27-Mar-2026

    Summary

    The Council was at fault in how it decided what priority Mr X should have for social housing. This caused Mr X avoidable frustration, particularly as the Ombudsman had previously found the Council at fault for the same issue. To remedy Mr X’s injustice, the Council will apologise, make a symbolic payment and carry out a new assessment of his priority. The Council will also review what it needs to do to prevent similar fault in future.

    Service improvements

    The Council will identify why it failed to take relevant information into account when deciding what priority banding the complainant should have on its social housing register. The Council will tell the Ombudsman the steps it will take to prevent those faults occurring again in future, and when it will complete them by.

  • Plymouth City Council (25 005 054)

    Category: Education Date: 12-Mar-2026

    Summary

    There was fault by the Council when it mishandled K’s special educational needs. It took too long to complete the annual review process of her Education Health and Care Plan, so that it took over a year to issue the final Plan. It failed to consider properly its duty to make alternative educational provision when K could not attend school. It did not communicate properly with K’s parent, nor deal with her complaints properly. This meant that K did not have access to a suitable education for over a year. K missed education, and she and her parent were caused distress and frustration. The Council has agreed to apologise to K and her parent; make a symbolic payment in recognition of the impact of its failings; and brief staff on the Council’s duties.

    Service improvements

    Share with relevant staff the Ombudsman’s good practice guidance on how we expect councils to fulfil their responsibilities to identify and arrange alternative educational provision: Supporting children out of school (October 2025)Remind relevant staff by way of a staff briefing or similar, that the Council remains responsible for making decisions about alternative educational provision, even when the child is enrolled at a school.

  • Plymouth City Council (25 002 447)

    Category: Education Date: 12-Dec-2025

    Summary

    Mrs X complained the Council delayed completing an annual review, failed to ensure her son received full-time education and failed to respond to her communications and complaint. The Council delayed completing the annual review, failed to consider the level of education available to Mrs X’s son, delayed responding to her complaint and failed to address the concerns she raised. That caused Mrs X distress, delayed her appeal rights and caused her some uncertainty. An apology, payment to Mrs X and guidance to officers is satisfactory remedy.

    Service improvements

    The Council will provide guidance to officers in education about the Council's section 19 duty and the need to ensure any part-time education put in place by schools is properly reviewed.The Council will provide guidance to officers dealing with complaints about the need to ensure complaint responses address all the concerns raised. That guidance should make clear where part of the complaint relates to matters which a tribunal will consider it is acceptable to exclude those in the response but that should not mean the remainder of the concerns are not addressed.

  • Plymouth City Council (25 000 274)

    Category: Education Date: 12-Dec-2025

    Summary

    Mrs Y complains about delays in finalising and issuing her child’s Education, Health and Care Plan. She says her child missed important provision and the Council did not arrange any alternative provision during the period of delay. Some parts of the complaint are outside of our jurisdiction because Mrs Y appealed to the Tribunal. There are also matters which are closely connected with the appeal. For the parts of the complaint within our jurisdiction, the Council has agreed to make a symbolic payment of £600 and will share a copy of its service improvement plan.

    Service improvements

    The Council will provide a copy of its existing SEND improvement plan.

  • Plymouth City Council (24 021 532)

    Category: Education Date: 05-Nov-2025

    Summary

    Mrs X complained the Council delayed carrying out a review of her son’s Education, Health and Care Plan and incurred delays after the review was held. Mrs X also complained the Council failed to ensure her son received educational provision when he was unable to attend school. She says the Council’s actions caused avoidable distress to her and her son. We found fault by the Council. The Council has agreed to provide an apology and a financial remedy to Mrs X.

    Service improvements

    Provide a copy of the Council’s plan to improve timeliness across its special educational needs and Education, Health and Care Plan serviceRemind staff of the Council’s duty to carry out Education, Health and Care Plan reviews, and to issue decision letters within the statutory timeframes,Remind staff to ensure they retain evidence to demonstrate the service’s consideration of the Council’s section 19 and section 42 duties

  • Plymouth City Council (24 018 235)

    Category: Environment and regulation Date: 22-Oct-2025

    Summary

    Miss X complained about the Council’s response to her reports of noise, anti-social behaviour and light nuisance from a nearby business. We have found the Council at fault in wrongly closing Miss X’s original report but consider the action it has already taken provided a suitable remedy to Miss X. The Council has also agreed further action to avoid a reoccurrence.

    Service improvements

    The Council will review its relevant procedures to ensure reports of nuisance and/or anti-social behaviour are not closed without contact with the complainant to check if the matter has been resolved.The Council will review its relevant procedures to ensure an adequate record is kept when complainants are advised of their private right of action under section 82 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990.

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