Service improvements

Somerset County Council

Showing service improvements between 1 April 2022 and 31 March 2023

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 11 - 18 of 18 cases with service improvements

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Downloads the current filtered list of service improvement decisions for Somerset County Council as a CSV file.

  • Somerset County Council (21 016 160)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 04-Sep-2022

    Summary

    Mrs F complains about the council commissioned care her late father received at Camelot House and Lodge nursing home. Mrs F says poor care at the end of her father’s life caused him pain and discomfort and the family significant distress. The Council has accepted there was fault which caused injustice to Mrs F. It has agreed to make a payment to acknowledge this and make service improvements.

    Service improvements

    •Ensure the care home has a procedure setting out when an aspiration machine may be required and how one would be obtained if the Home’s is unavailable.Remind the Home’s carers, including agency staff, of the guidance on thickened fluids and soft diets; giving training as necessary.

  • Somerset County Council (21 015 427)

    Category: Education Date: 20-Sep-2022

    Summary

    Mrs X complains the Council failed to make alternative education provision for her son when he could not attend school. The Council is at fault as it did not make alternative provision for Y when he was unable to attend school. As a result, Y did not receive suitable provision and support between April 2021 and February 2022. The Council also delayed in issuing Y’s Education, Health and Care plan and in agreeing a personal budget. The Council has agreed to remedy Y’s injustice by making a payment to acknowledge he has been disadvantaged by the lack of alternative provision and a payment to Mrs X for the distress caused.

    Service improvements

    The Council will, by training or other means, ensure officers are aware of the Council’s duty under section 19 of the Education Act to make alternative provision for children out of school including the factors they should consider when deciding whether alternative provision needs to be made.

  • Somerset County Council (21 013 709)

    Category: Education Date: 26-Jul-2022

    Summary

    Miss X complains the Council have not dealt properly with education provision for her son Y. The Council is at fault because it didn’t ensure SEN (Special Educational Needs) provision was made, an annual review was not held properly and it issued an amended EHCP too late. Y missed SEN provision and Miss X’s appeal right was delayed for over three months. The Council has agreed to pay Miss X £2,000 and provide guidance to staff.

    Service improvements

    Provide guidance to staff to ensure that final EHCP documents together with a right of appeal are issued in the correct statutory timescales.

  • Somerset County Council (21 012 954)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 09-May-2022

    Summary

    A Care Provider, acting on behalf of the Council, acknowledged failings in the management of Mr Y’s care before the involvement of this office, but it failed to offer an appropriate remedy for the injustice caused. There is no evidence to show the Council took appropriate action in response to the events or what action it took to ensure safe effective care provision for other residents similarly affected and for those whom it continues to commission placements.

    Service improvements

    The Council agreed to explain what action it took in response to the acknowledged failings in the complainant's care at the care home, and what action it has taken to ensure safe effective care provision to other residents similarly affected and for those whom it commissions placements at the care home.The Council will request a detailed explanation from the Care Provider explaining what action it has taken to improve the quality of care provided at the care home, and how this is monitored.

  • Somerset County Council (21 007 871)

    Category: Transport and highways Date: 05-May-2022

    Summary

    Mr C complains the Council failed to properly maintain a drainage system causing his pond to silt up. We have found fault by the Council in its complaint handling and in the time taken to confirm it was responsible for the drainage system. We consider the agreed action of an apology, £300 and actions the Council has already agreed about maintenance of the drainage system provide a suitable remedy.

    Service improvements

    The Council will review its complaints procedure and staff guidance to ensure formal complaints complete the Council’s complaints procedure.

  • Somerset County Council (21 006 275)

    Category: Education Date: 12-Apr-2022

    Summary

    Mrs X complained the Council failed to provide alternative education for her children and delayed assessing their special educational needs. There was fault in how the Council reviewed its decision following a mediation agreement and how it failed to consider its duty to arrange suitable alternative education. It agreed to apologise to Mrs X and her children, pay them a financial remedy and review its policy and practice.

    Service improvements

    The Council agreed to review its policy and practices for arranging alternative education for children not attending school for health reasons. It should ensure it considers all the available evidence and does not insist on evidence from particular health professionals. It will ensure is communicates and changes it makes to either its policy or practice to its staff and other relevant bodies (including schools in its area).

  • Somerset County Council (21 004 521)

    Category: Education Date: 28-Apr-2022

    Summary

    Mrs C complained the Council delayed in providing her son with an Education, Health and Social Care Plan naming a suitable school. Also, that it failed to provide him with suitable education while she appealed the content of that plan. We uphold a complaint the Council took too long to finalise the plan. This delay caused both Mrs C and her son injustice. The Council accepts this finding and at the end of this statement we set out the action it agreed to remedy that injustice. The statement also explains why we are unable to investigate or uphold other parts of Mrs C’s complaint.

    Service improvements

    The Council agreed to issue a reminder to all relevant staff of the timescales they must work to in completing an Education, Health and Care Plan needs assessment where the decision to initiate such an assessment is made by a Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal. These are shorter than when the Council agrees to such an assessment on its own initiative.

  • Somerset County Council (21 004 281)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 29-May-2022

    Summary

    Mr C complained to us about the way a care provider, commissioned by the Council, supported his son in supported living. We have found fault with some issues Mr C complained about, for which the Council has agreed to apologise and pay a financial remedy to him and his son.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to share the lessons learned with its adult social care staff and the care provider.

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