Case Ref: 24 013 619 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• Within three months of my final decision, the Council should put measures in place to ensure that it will proactively consider its section 19 duties in cases where children are absent from school for extended periods.

Case Ref: 24 009 581 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council will issue a staff briefing so all relevant staff are aware of the Council’s statutory obligation to ensure a child receives a suitable education if they cannot attend school. If they are satisfied a setting is suitable, evidence how they consider it remains available and accessible. This will help to ensure children who are out of school do not miss out on education, and ensure the Council is properly evidencing how it has considered its section 19 duty.
• The Council will share our focus report Out of school, out of sight? with relevant staff to emphasise the Council’s section 19 responsibilities and identify wider points of learning. This will help to ensure all relevant staff are aware of the Council's section 19 responsibilities and what it should be doing in cases where its duty applies.

Case Ref: 24 007 183 Category: Education Sub Category: School admissions

• By training or other means, remind appeal panels and clerks that the panel must satisfy itself that the school has made its case for prejudice when considering stage one of an appeal and that reasons for its decision must be recorded in the clerk’s notes.

Case Ref: 24 003 984 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• the Council will remind relevant staff of the need to secure the provision in an Education, Health and Care Plan until such time as the plan is legally ceased.
• clarify arrangements for appeals against the refusal of a personal budget.

Case Ref: 24 003 646 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• Implement a process of recording the rationale for assessments of ‘housing needs’ points under its allocations policy and include a summary of that rationale in decision letters to applicants.

Case Ref: 24 003 408 Category: Education Sub Category: School admissions

• The Council agreed to remind all panel members and clerks of the need for the panel to properly consider submissions made.
• The Council agreed to remind all clerks of the need for decision letters to give clear reasons for the panel’s decision which explain how and why issues of facts or law raised during the hearing were decided.

Case Ref: 24 001 504 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council has agreed to remind relevant council officers of the importance of keeping parents updated during the Education, Health, and Care Plan process, particularly in situations where statutory timescales are not met.

Case Ref: 23 009 985 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Residential care

• The Council will direct a local adult social care provider not to issue private contracts to residents or relatives whose care it commissions.
• The Council will review procedures for triaging referrals for assessments to ensure it meets the legal timeframes in the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards.

Case Ref: 23 008 901 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council will send us an action plan setting out how it will ensure similar delays do not happen when finalising EHC plans in future.