Case Ref: 18 019 236 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council agreed to provide the Ombudsman with details of the improvements in procedures it says it has made around consulting schools as part of the Education Health and Care Plan process .
• The Council will explain how it proposes to ensure it sends out information about the right of appeal with a final Education Health and Care Plan and records that it has done so.

Case Ref: 18 016 372 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Safeguarding

• The Council will review how it ensures compliance with medication policies by its commissioned contractors
• The Council will review how it escalates concerns about contractors.

Case Ref: 18 015 263 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Child protection

• For the Council to consider whether social workers need further guidance on identifying emotional abuse and to let me know what action it decides to take.

Case Ref: 18 014 232 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council agreed to review its procedures to ensure that when it receives a notification that a child in its area may have special educational needs, it consults parents and other professionals to reach a decision about assessing the child within six weeks.
• The Council agreed to amend its processes to ensure it retains copies of any draft EHCPs issued to parents.This will ensure there is a clear audit trail of any changes made as the plan progresses.
• The Council agreed to remind officers working with children of the Council’s own guidance regarding early referrals for EHCP needs assessments where necessary.
• The Council agreed to issue a reminder to schools in its area about the inappropriate use of ‘informal’ or ‘unofficial’ exclusions.

Case Ref: 18 013 819 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Friends and family carers

• The Council has agreed to review its child arrangements order allowance policy to ensure that it clearly sets out the Council’s discretionary powers.

Case Ref: 18 012 042 Category: Environment and regulation Sub Category: Refuse and recycling

• Review the wording of its Section 46 notice, to ensure it is clear for future use.

Case Ref: 18 007 973 Category: Planning Sub Category: Planning applications

• The Council agreed to review its public-facing information about its corporate complaints process and the enforcement reporting process and provide clear public information on the difference between the two; consider links across from the corporate webpage to the enforcement webpage and provide clarity on what complainants can expect in terms of responses on enforcement matters.

Case Ref: 18 007 951 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council will write to the Ombudsman and explain: How many similar complaints it has had since introducing the localities system and how much higher or lower than the previous level, if applicable; Its assessment of the success of failure of the localities system; The steps it has taken to improve the system since its introduction;and Its view on whether it is sensible to approve provision of EHCPs when schools have stated they cannot provide the care set out in them.

Case Ref: 17 019 772 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Assessment and care plan

• The Council will review its local agreement with the CCG, to improve assessment and care and support planning processes for service users whose care is jointly funded. In particular, they should address the way the two organisations communicate and work together to assess and gather information from service users.