Service improvements

Southend-on-Sea 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 - 2 of 2 cases with service improvements

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Downloads the current filtered list of service improvement decisions for Southend-on-Sea City Council as a CSV file.

  • Southend-on-Sea City Council (24 000 158)

    Category: Education Date: 26-Nov-2024

    Summary

    Mr X complains that the Council delayed in issuing a final Education, Health and Care Plan for his child Z. The Council was at fault as there was a delay in receiving an Educational Psychologist’s report and delay in issuing Z’s final Education, Health and Care Plan. The delays caused distress and frustration to Mr X and his family and Z missed specific special educational needs provision for a period of 17 weeks. The Council also failed to discuss a personal budget with Mr X. The Council has agreed to remedy the injustice by apologising to Mr X and making a symbolic payment of £1300 to acknowledge the distress caused to him and his family and to acknowledge Z’s missed special educational provision.

    Service improvements

    By training or other means, remind officers that they should discuss with parents/carers whether a personal budget is appropriate once it has issued the draft Education, Health and Care Plan.

  • Southend-on-Sea City Council (23 006 554)

    Category: Education Date: 17-Jul-2024

    Summary

    Ms X complained the Council failed to ensure her son (B) received an education when he was unable to attend school. She also complained the Council delayed issuing B’s final Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plans, delayed obtaining relevant assessments, and did not respond to her complaints. We have found the Council failed to properly consider its Section 19 duty at key points in the 2021/22 academic year. We have also found the Council failed to fulfil its Section 19 duty in the 2022/23 academic year. These faults caused a loss of education provision and support for B. We have also found the Council at fault for failing to issue B’s EHC Plans within statutory timescales and for failing to respond to Ms X’s complaint. We have made recommendations to remedy the injustice this caused. We have also recommended the Council act to improve its services.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to share a copy of the Ombudsman's decision and our focus report Out of school, out of sight? with relevant staff, to remind officers of steps the Council should take to consider and adhere to its Section 19 duty to provide alternative education provision.The Council has agreed to compile an action plan setting out the proposed improvements it will make to its services, allowing it to issue Education, Health and Care Plans quicker following an annual review. The Council will share this action plan with the Ombudsman.

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