Service improvements

Sheffield City Council

Showing service improvements between 1 April 2024 and 31 March 2025

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 (24 005 127)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 04-Feb-2025

    Summary

    The Council’s contracted care agency, Hallam24 Healthcare, failed to provide adequate home care to Mrs C. The Council also delayed carrying out a care review and informing her daughter, Miss B of the outcome of its safeguarding investigations. The Council was at fault for its delays and lack of communication, and for the poor standard of care given to Mrs C. Because of the fault, Mrs C suffered a lack of care, and it caused uncertainty, stress and worry to Miss B. The Council has agreed to apologise to Miss B, make a symbolic payment, issue staff briefings and provide staff training.

    Service improvements

    The Council will issue a staff briefing to remind Council and Hallam24 Healthcare staff, where relevant, of the importance of:•reassessing and completing reviews of care plans in a timely manner;•following care plans; and•raising concerns about care plan tasks when necessary to avoid tasks being uncompleted.This will help to ensure all care needs of service users are met and reviewed in a timely manner, without delay.The Council will provide staff training about good communication when making and communicating decisions to service users. This will help to ensure clarity and avoid confusion when the Council is making and communicating decisions to service users.

  • Sheffield City Council (24 005 015)

    Category: Environment and regulation Date: 06-Feb-2025

    Summary

    Mr X complained the Council failed to arrange bin collections for a supported living facility. Mr X said this left vulnerable residents without waste collections for weeks, and bins were overflowing. He said it caused unnecessary and avoidable stress and inconvenience. We find the Council at fault and this caused injustice. The Council will apologise to Mr X and improve its service.

    Service improvements

    The Council will remind all waste management staff, including managers, what its waste management policy is. Specifically, that its policy says supported living waste is classed as domestic waste and is therefore eligible for free domestic waste collections.

  • Sheffield City Council (24 002 665)

    Category: Children's care services Date: 18-Mar-2025

    Summary

    Ms X complained that Sheffield City Council and Sheffield Children’s NHS Foundation Trust failed to address the impact of their failings during a child safeguarding enquiry. We are satisfied the Council and the Trust have now proposed appropriate and proportionate action to resolve the complaint. Because of this, we will not investigate Ms X’s complaint.

    Service improvements

    During our assessment the Council accepted that it should have investigated this complaint jointly with an NHS Trust. The Council said its complaints manager would review the Council's protocols for joint complaint handling with a view to ensuring that future opportunities for joint working are not missed.

  • Sheffield City Council (24 002 326)

    Category: Benefits and tax Date: 28-Nov-2024

    Summary

    Mr X complained about mistakes the Council made calculating his council tax reduction claim in 2020. The errors the Council accepted it made caused Mr X avoidable distress and worry. While the Council has already apologised, it also agreed to pay Mr X a financial remedy and review how it informs people of their appeal rights.

    Service improvements

    The Council agree to review its process, including any standard or template letters, for responding to council tax reductions reviews to ensure it informs people of their rights to appeal relevant decisions to the Valuation Tribunal.

  • Sheffield City Council (23 021 148)

    Category: Education Date: 01-Nov-2024

    Summary

    Mrs X complained the Council failed to find a setting for her daughter, Y, to sit her GCSE exams. Mrs X said she had to arrange for the exams to take place outside of her local area, in busy settings which would impact Y. Y’s tutor then arranged the exams in a local setting. Mrs X said she spent a lot of time arranging the exams and this impacted her, and Y’s, mental health. There was fault in the way the Council did not arrange for Y to sit the exams in a suitable location with suitable adjustments. This fault distressed Mrs X and Y. The Council will apologise, make a financial payment and provide a copy of its new policy.

    Service improvements

    Provide a copy of the EOTAS policy to evidence it is acting following the fault identified in this case.

  • Sheffield City Council (23 017 818)

    Category: Education Date: 04-Mar-2025

    Summary

    The Council failed to properly consider its duty to provide alternative education for Ms X’s child, Z. This led to Z missing out on alternative provision and caused Ms X uncertainty and frustration. In recognition of the injustice caused, the Council has agreed to apologise, pay Ms X £1,200 and carry out service improvements.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to provide the Ombudsman with evidence it has reminded education staff that the Council should consider its section19 duty to pupils from the fifteenth day of absence from school and clearly record its decision making at that time.

  • Sheffield City Council (23 015 273)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 29-Oct-2024

    Summary

    Mrs Y complains about how the Council dealt with her mother’s National Health Service(NHS) joint package of health and social care and her care charges. There was fault by the Council which caused injustice to Mrs X and Mrs Y. The Council has agreed to remedy the outstanding injustice caused to Mrs Y.

    Service improvements

    By training or other means remind relevant staff of the importance of adhering to the Council’s complaint policy times.

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