Case Ref: 20 005 276 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Residential care

• The Council will discuss with both homes the findings from this investigation in relation to case recordings and ensure that ongoing monitoring visits for both homes covers the quality of case recordings.

Case Ref: 20 002 142 Category: Environment and regulation Sub Category: Trees

• Update its Urban Tree Policy to include a clear outline of how it will manage reports of dangerous trees, the procedure and timeframes involved
• Update its procedures to ensure it keeps records of any actions and decisions, including inspections

Case Ref: 20 001 009 Category: Benefits and tax Sub Category: COVID-19

• The Council will provide training/guidance to relevant staff to ensure they provide clear evidence based decisions in line with the Ombudsman’s guidance on good administrative practice.

Case Ref: 20 006 145 Category: Benefits and tax Sub Category: Housing benefit and council tax benefit

• The Council will remind officers to carefully consider correspondence from housing benefit and CTR applicants and clarify where necessary if they are submitting an out of time reconsideration request or appeal.

Case Ref: 19 016 696 Category: Education Sub Category: School transport

• The Council has agreed to change its home school transport appeal procedure to ensure it meets the requirements of the statutory guidance.

Case Ref: 19 016 423 Category: Benefits and tax Sub Category: Council tax support

• The Council has agreed to remind staff to adhere to the Council’s complaints policy, specifically to respond within the relevant timeframes, and provide updates to complainants.
• The Council has also agreed to ensure its Council Tax Reduction (CTR) policy is clear about how the Council will treat CTR reversal. If the Council signposts to the Valuation Tribunal, it should ensure the policy brings CTR reversals within the jurisdiction of the Tribunal. The Council should provide evidence of this to the Ombudsman.

Case Ref: 19 016 114 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council has agreed to provide evidence to the Ombudsman of the actions it has taken regarding the review of its processes and the provision of training within the SEN team.
• The Council has agreed to provide the Ombudsman with the audit results of cases who may have been similarly affected, with evidence of what has been done to address any failings.

Case Ref: 19 014 814 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Residential care

• Reflect on the issues raised in this decision statement and identify any areas of service improvement. The Council should prepare a short report setting out what it intends to do to ensure similar problems do not reoccur. This report should be sent to the Ombudsman.

Case Ref: 19 009 951 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Direct payments

• The Council has agreed to provide the Ombudsman with a copy of its new process and procedures for staff involved with delivering direct payments and managed accounts for adult care services.
• The Council has agreed to deliver training to relevant staff of its new processes and procedures for staff involved with delivering direct payments and managed accounts for adult care services and provide the Ombudsman with a report showing this has been done.

Case Ref: 19 006 815 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Disabled facilities grants

• The Council will review its DFG policy to ensure: robust quality monitoring is carried out; work is not signed of as complete when there are outstanding issues; and it sets out the circumstances in which the Council might withhold payment of a grant to a contractor.