Service improvements

Sandwell Metropolitan Borough 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 Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council as a CSV file.

  • Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council (25 017 212)

    Category: Education Date: 24-Mar-2026

    Summary

    We have upheld this complaint about how the Council dealt with a grant application. This is because the Council has agreed to resolve the complaint early by providing a proportionate remedy for the injustice caused to Mr Y and improving its service for others.

    Service improvements

    Review and update the Gifted and Talented Grant application process.

  • Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council (25 000 658)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 16-Mar-2026

    Summary

    We upheld a complaint made on Ms D and Miss E’s behalf, which concerned a failure by the Council to meet Miss E’s need for care and support. We found the Council delayed for ten months before beginning an assessment of Miss E’s needs. Further fault then contributed to a delay in completing that assessment and it not completing a care and support plan or putting services in place. This caused injustice to Miss E, mainly as a loss of service. While Ms D had to meet Miss E’s needs without enough support causing her distress, added to by delay and poor communications. The Council has accepted these findings. At the end of this statement, we set out the action it has agreed to take to remedy the complainants’ injustice and avoid a repeat of its fault.

    Service improvements

    The Council agreed to undertake a review to consider:- the procedures used to prioritise cases when someone waits for a care needs assessment; - the communications it has with those waiting to cover matters such as waiting times and priority given to their case; - the communications it has once social care needs assessments begin to ensure they understand the steps involved before any care is put in place; - the advice and procedures it has in place to support social workers when they need to set up an urgent package of care before a needs assessment and / or care and support planning has fully completed.

  • Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council (24 021 237)

    Category: Housing Date: 24-Nov-2025

    Summary

    Mr X complained the Council did not properly consider supporting evidence for his rehousing application and delayed reviewing his medical priority decision. The Council’s delayed medical priority review decision is fault. It caused Mr X distress and uncertainty. On the balance of probabilities, there is no fault in how the Council or medical review panel made its decision on Mr X’s medical priority, so we cannot question the outcome. The Council agreed to apologise to Mr X for the delay, make a payment to recognise the distress caused and carry out the service recommendations.

    Service improvements

    The Council will review how it retains records to ensure key documents are available when requested.The Council will remind relevant staff the importance of proper record keeping.

  • Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council (24 019 391)

    Category: Education Date: 18-Sep-2025

    Summary

    Mr X complained the Council failed to amend his daughter, Y’s, Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan after the 2023 annual review. He also complained the Council delayed completion of the 2024 annual review and EHC Plan reassessment. Mr X also complained about poor complaint handling. Mr X said this distressed him and frustrated his appeal right to the Tribunal. There was fault as the Council did not issue the final EHC Plan within statutory timescales and its complaint handling was poor. This frustrated Mr X and frustrated his right of appeal to the Tribunal. The Council will apologise, issue the final EHC Plan, make a financial payment and issue guidance to its staff.

    Service improvements

    Remind relevant staff of the importance of effective complaint handling, adhering to timescales and offering correct escalation rights.

  • Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council (24 018 450)

    Category: Education Date: 31-Aug-2025

    Summary

    The Council was at fault as it delayed completing an Education, Health and Care needs assessment for Miss X’s child Y. It was also at fault as it did not properly consider its alternative provision duty when Y was not in school and it poorly communicated and handled Miss X’s complaint. The Council will apologise and make a symbolic payment to Miss X to recognise the avoidable frustration and uncertainty caused by its faults. It will also report back to us on the steps it will take to avoid similar issues from happening again.

    Service improvements

    The Council will identify areas of staff shortages (including Educational Psychologists and other key officers). It will produce and provide the Ombudsman with an action plan outlining steps it has taken or intends to take to address these shortages.The Council will remind relevant officers, either through training or a briefing note, of the Council’s duties to consider its section 19 duty as soon as it is aware that a child is not attending school full-time. The Council will provide relevant officers with a copy of the Ombudsman's guidance Out of school, out of sight? published July 2022.

  • Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council (24 017 448)

    Category: Education Date: 30-Sep-2025

    Summary

    Mrs X complained about the Council’s handling of her son, Y’s, annual review. Mrs X also complained the Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan did not focus on preparation for adulthood. Mrs X said this impacted school consultations, transition, Y’s mental health, and her mental and physical health. There was fault in the way the Council did not include provision to assist preparing for adulthood, delayed issuing the EHC Plan and complaint handling was poor. This distressed Mrs X and frustrated her appeal right to the Tribunal. The Council agreed to apologise, make a financial payment and issue guidance to its staff.

    Service improvements

    • Remind relevant staff of the importance of effective complaint handling and giving an escalation right.• Remind relevant staff of the Council duty to include provisions to assist in preparation for adulthood in EHC Plans from year nine.

  • Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council (24 014 390)

    Category: Housing Date: 29-Jan-2026

    Summary

    Miss X complained about delays and errors in the way the Council has dealt with both her homelessness application and her application for the housing register. We found there were significant delays and errors in the way the Council progressed Miss X’s homeless application which amount to fault. The Council’s failure to complete a review of Miss X’s request for medical priority is also fault. Miss X has experienced uncertainty and distress and incurred financial expense as a result of this fault. The Council will apologise and make payments to Miss X and carry out service improvements.

    Service improvements

    •provide details of the action it is taking to reduce the time it is taking to allocate and assess homeless applications;•carry out a review of its procurement of temporary accommodation and identify ways of increasing the supply of different types of self-contained temporary accommodation;•provide guidance / training for officers to ensure that homelessness applicants who the Council accepts a duty to provide interim accommodation for, receive suitable accommodation;•issue a reminder to its staff who respond to complaints about housing and homelessness, about the difference between the Housing Ombudsman and the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, and where to direct complainants.

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