Case Ref: 23 008 748 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Charging

• The Council should remind officers in writing that they should address the issue of motivation when considering deprivation of assets cases.

Case Ref: 23 008 677 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council will develop a contingency plan to ensure correct process for commissioning specialist provision is followed in the absence of the key council officer.

Case Ref: 23 004 372 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Charging

• The Council will remind staff they must share the Council's leaflet on adult social care at the start of their involvement with a person for whom the Council is arranging care for the first time.
• The Council will remind staff they should consider whether to offer a person paying for care a payment plan where the Council's delay in carrying out a financial assessment will result in it sending a large invoice.
• The Council will review its leaflet about adult social care to ensure it explains a person should expect to pay most of their income towards their care. The Council will also review its leaflet so it sets out the average cost of common types of care. For example, the average weekly cost of living in a nursing home or a care home and the average hourly cost to receive care at home in the day, on the weekend or at night.

Case Ref: 23 004 320 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council will review its policy and approach to children and young people out of school for health, medical or other reasons to ensure it is fully meeting its responsibilities to arrange alternative education in line with the law and guidance.
• The Council will remind relevant staff of the importance of keeping full and accurate records and for supervisors to ensure this is being maintained when overseeing the work of staff reporting to them.

Case Ref: 23 003 880 Category: Education Sub Category: School transport

• The Council agreed to review what steps it needs to take to ensure future staff absences are managed in such a way as to not delay the processing of Stage 1 challenges.
• The Council agreed to remind officers of the need to provide reasons for decisions at Stage 1 and Stage 2 appeals which also show how issues raised were considered.
• The Council agreed to review why correspondence was not responded to between February and June 2023 and ensure steps are taken to ensure this failure cannot be repeated in the future.
• The Council agreed to review why the Stage 2 decision letter was not sent and ensure this failure cannot be repeated in the future.

Case Ref: 23 000 151 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council will ensure social care advice is always obtained as part of an EHC needs assessment and that a Parent Carer Needs Asssessment is offered 'on the appearance of need', for example when a child is out of school for a prolonged period.
• The Council will review its training and guidance for officers on s.19 Education Act duties to ensure officers have a good understanding of the law including what to do when medical advice is not available or not relevant and when a child is on roll but receiving less than fulltime education.

Case Ref: 22 016 540 Category: Education Sub Category: COVID-19

• The Council will remind relevant officers about identifying information in complaints and requests for Education Health and Care needs assessments that suggests a child is out of school and to alert the education welfare team of this. The Council will also share a copy of our focus report called 'Out of school...Out of Mind' with the reminder.

Case Ref: 22 016 428 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council will provide guidance to Council staff working in children’s education to ensure they are aware it is the Council’s statutory duty to complete an Education Health and Care Plan review within the statutory timeframes. And it retains responsibility even when it has asked the school to arrange the review meeting.

Case Ref: 22 016 207 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Other

• The Council will issue written reminders to relevant staff to ensure they involve all individuals with parental responsibility for a child/young person in the child in need planning process.

Case Ref: 22 015 429 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Charging

• •Remind relevant officers of the importance of completing the financial assessment at the same time as the care plan and personal budget are being prepared.