Case Ref: 22 001 872 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Disabled facilities grants

• The Council has agreed to review its procedures to ensure: those awaiting adaptations are informed of the likely timescales involved and any possible delays;officers keep in regular contact with all those awaiting a Disabled Facilities Grant for housing adaptations. It will aim to provide them with an update on progress every two months; and officers maintain accurate records of contact with applicants.

Case Ref: 21 018 126 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council agreed to review the arrangement for communication between its special educational needs and children with disabilities teams. It should ensure it has a joined-up, cooperative approach to assessing the needs of children with Education Health and Care plans.
• The Council agreed to review its procedures for investigating complaint which involve several Council service to ensure it takes a coordinated approach to investigating and responding to such complaints.
• The Council agreed to review the training needs of its education and social care teams about the communication needs of Deaf people. If its review identified a need, it will arrange suitable training.

Case Ref: 22 011 904 Category: Education Sub Category: School transport

• Amend the wording of its policy on providing home to school transport for children to advise the home to school travel andtransport statutory guidance (July 2014) says the appeal process is only for pupils“of” statutory school age

Case Ref: 22 004 354 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council will review its processes for monitoring children who are not in education. It should ensure it has a robust procedure in place for escalating cases to senior managers where children have been out of education for 15 days or more.
• The Council will review how it tracks the progress of Education, Health and Care plans from assessment to issue, and annual reviews. It will ensure it has a robust system in place to identify and address cases that are exceeding statutory timescales;
• The Council was at fault for delay in finalising an Education, Health and Care plan, in not providing education from July 2019 and sufficient special education provision from February 2021 until December 2021. It has agreed to share the learning from this case with all relevant caseworkers and consider whether any additional training is needed in relation to the statutory Education, Health and Care Plan process.

Case Ref: 22 004 107 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council will arrange training for relevant staff to ensure they understand the Council's obligation to ensure provision in an Education, Health and Care plan is arranged.
• The Council will ensure it has a mechanism in place for checking provision specified in an Education, Health and Care plan is arranged from the start of a new or amended plan. This should not rely solely on parents or schools or on the annual review process.

Case Ref: 22 003 345 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Disabled children

• The Council will ensure managers are aware of their responsibility to have sufficient oversight of allocated parent carer's assessments to ensure they are completed in a timely manner. Managers should also ensure staff completing the assessments fully consider the needs of the parent carer and what things or services it could offer to make looking a child easier.

Case Ref: 22 002 625 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council agreed to remind its Special Educational Needs staff that it is the Council’s responsibility to ensure that all provision in Education Health and Care plans is provided and that they should promptly investigate and intervene if they have reason to believe any provision is not being made.

Case Ref: 22 001 565 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Residential care

• The Council should, through its commissioning role provide evidence:- the Care Provider has systems in place to monitor equipment and cleaning of rooms;
• The Care Provider had provided information to senior care staff about NHS Continuing Healthcare, when it is applicable and when to make a referral;
• The Care Provider has systems in place so care records are accurate, reviewed and there is a correlation between advice given and action taken. This particularly applies to wound care, medication changes and nutrition monitoring;
• The Care Provider supports staff with training about the need to properly record interventions and supporting residents with dignity and respect;
• The Care Provider has systems in place so that resident’s property and clothing is properly managed; and complaint responders understand the requirement to respond to all substantive parts of a complaint.

Case Ref: 22 000 756 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• I note that the Council has been working to a Written Statement of Action following an internal review and findings of Ofsted and CQC inspection in 2020. The Ombudsman has made four recommendations for improvement in 2022/2023 following findings of fault about adherence to EHC plan timescales or provision of alternative education. I recommend the Council reviews its progress towards improving these areas of its practice in the light of this further finding of fault.

Case Ref: 22 000 503 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council will remind all relevant officers that the Council’s duty to secure the specified special educational provision in an Education, Health and Care plan is owed personally to the child and is non-delegable.
• The Council will review how it tracks the progress of Education, Health and Care plans from assessment to issue, and annual reviews. It will ensure it has a robust system in place for identifying and addressing cases that are exceeding statutory timescales.
• The Council was at fault for delay in issuing a final Education, Health and Care plan and not ensuring the specified provision was in place for the child. The Council will share the learning from this case with all relevant caseworkers and consider whether any additional training is needed.