Case Ref: 21 017 494 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Charging

• Remind relevant Council officers of the importance of carrying out the yearly reconciliations and the importance of clear communication.
• Remind the Agency to provide the monthly breakdown to service users.

Case Ref: 21 011 753 Category: Education Sub Category: School transport

• The Council will amend its school transport policies to reflect the relevant statutory guidance on school transport and the safety of walking routes.

Case Ref: 20 012 914 Category: Planning Sub Category: Planning applications

• The Council will consider amending its planning enforcement process to include updating complainants on its progress, where it is unable to issue its decsion on the complaint within eight weeks. It will inform the Ombudsman of the outcome of its consideration, its reasons for this outcome and any timescale for change.

Case Ref: 21 000 196 Category: Planning Sub Category: Enforcement

• The Council will review its procedure and guidance to relevant staff to ensure that complaints receive a timely response under the Council’s complaint procedure.

Case Ref: 20 002 359 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Assessment and care plan

• The Council has agreed to remind staff to give clear and concise information about its brokeragesystem when discussing decisions to change to direct payments.

Case Ref: 19 012 940 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council has already changed its annual review template to avoid similar issues occurring in future. Should the Council decide not to include in the template reference to the legal sections of the regulations and guidance about ceasing an EHCP for those who are over 18 the Council should produce some guidance for officers instead.

Case Ref: 19 010 360 Category: Education Sub Category: School transport

• The Council will also review its school transport appeal procedure to ensure it meets the requirements of statutory guidance including provision for parents to attend the hearing and make verbal representations.

Case Ref: 19 008 464 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Transition from childrens services

• The Council will send a memo to the officers involved in carrying out Care Act assessments in this case to remind them of the need to involve the service user and any family members in the assessment, share the completed assessment with the service user and any family members and ensure the service user is involved in drawing up a support plan.