Service improvements

Sheffield City Council

Showing service improvements between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024

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 Sheffield City Council as a CSV file.

  • Sheffield City Council (23 007 943)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 17-Jan-2024

    Summary

    Mr X complained that the Council refused his application for a Blue Badge. We found the Council incorrectly interpreted the guidance in failing to give Mr X the opportunity to provide supporting information from his GP. In recognition of the injustice caused, the Council has agreed to invite Mr X to submit information from his GP in support of his application and to reassess the application considering all the information provided.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed that it will review its Blue Badge Scheme policy to ensure it complies with national guidance.

  • Sheffield City Council (23 004 844)

    Category: Education Date: 26-Feb-2024

    Summary

    The Council failed to take sufficient action to secure the speech and language therapy in Ms X’s daughter’s Education, Health and Care Plan (EHC Plan). This caused Ms X frustration and caused her daughter to miss out on provision she was entitled to receive. The Council has agreed to apologise, pay Ms X £850, and carry out service improvements. It has also agreed to pay a financial remedy for ongoing missed provision.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to review how it commissions its speech and language therapy to ensure it can secure this type of therapy when it is a requirement of young people's Education Health and Care Plans.The Council has agreed to remind its Special Educational Needs and Disabilities staff that the Council's duty to secure the provision in Section F of Education Health and Care Plans is non-delegable.

  • Sheffield City Council (23 004 629)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 15-Feb-2024

    Summary

    Mrs X complains the Council’s care provider, Valley Wood care home, failed to look after her late mother properly causing avoidable distress. Valley Wood’s care planning did not take account of all Mrs Y’s needs. The support it provided was not always in line with her assessed needs. It has been unable to provide Mrs Y’s medication administration records. The Council needs to apologise to Mrs X and pay her £250 for the distress she has been caused.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to work with Valley Wood care home to identify the action it needs to take to ensure:a) it does not overlook the need to prompt people to take fortified drinks and documents this properly;b) its staff have access to people’s care plans and follow them when delivering care; andc) care records are not misplaced after someone has left the care home.

  • Sheffield City Council (23 001 080)

    Category: Education Date: 14-Nov-2023

    Summary

    Mrs C complained the Council failed to find a special school placement for her son (X) and the alternative provision he received was inadequate. We found the Council caused a service failure as it was unable to find a suitable special school for X. It was at fault for failing to provide X enough alternative provision to ensure he received a full-time education, and it should have communicated better with Mrs C. The Council will apologise and make payment to Mrs C to acknowledge the injustice this caused her and X.

    Service improvements

    The Council will send written reminders to relevant staff of its responsibilities under Section 19 of the Education Act 1996 when it is made aware a child is attending school part-time, or needs a special school placement. This should cover what the Council should consider when assessing the suitability of education and how it will provide, or work towards, a full-time education in such circumstances.

  • Sheffield City Council (22 015 298)

    Category: Education Date: 29-Aug-2023

    Summary

    There is no evidence a delay in arranging a school placement for a child with an education, health and care plan was due to fault by the Council; and nor can we say any omission by the Council was responsible for a subsequent deterioration in the child’s behaviour, which led to his exclusion. We are unable to investigate a complaint about the alternative provision subsequently offered to the child, because it is linked to a matter which carried a right of appeal. There was some fault by the Council in its handling of the independent review against the child’s exclusion, for which it has agreed to apologise and circulate guidance to staff.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to circulate guidance to its panel of IRP clerks, to ensure they are aware the statutory guidance says that, where they have requested the attendance of a SEN expert at a review meeting, but the expert is not present, parents may ask for the meeting to be adjourned until the expert is available; and that the IRP must explain this right to parents.

  • Sheffield City Council (22 013 386)

    Category: Children's care services Date: 06-Jul-2023

    Summary

    Mr X complained the Council failed to investigate his complaints - about the Child in Need plan and the social worker appointed to his children - under the children’s statutory complaint process. The Council is at fault for failing to investigate the concerns under the correct complaints process. The Council will apologise, carry out an investigation under the statutory complaint process and take action to prevent reoccurrence.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to remind staff of the complaint process and procedures.

  • Sheffield City Council (21 013 182)

    Category: Education Date: 31-May-2023

    Summary

    Ms X complains the Council failed to make alternative education provision for her son, Y when he stopped attending school and delayed issuing a final amended Education Health and Care Plan after an annual review in 2021 causing distress and uncertainty. We found fault as the Council failed to provide Y with alternative educational provision and delayed issuing the final amended Education Health and Care Plan. We have recommended a suitable remedy so have completed our investigation.

    Service improvements

    Reviews its guidance to staff on when its Section 19 duty is triggered to ensure the recommendations in the Ombudsman’s focus report above are reflected in this. The Council should consider including guidance on our recommendation that councils should choose, based on all the evidence, whether to enforce attendance or provide the child with suitable alternative education.Ensure there is a clear audit trail to evidence decisions taken on non-attendance and alternative provision.Shares this decision with relevant staff members.

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