Service improvements

Suffolk County Council

Showing service improvements between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2022

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 - 10 of 14 cases with service improvements

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

  • Suffolk County Council (21 007 265)

    Category: Education Date: 03-Mar-2022

    Summary

    Ms X complained the Council failed to ensure provisions in an Education, Health and Care plan for her daughter, Y, were met. She also complained the Council delayed in securing Y a new school placement. This caused the family financial stress and Y missed out on education. We found the Council at fault and recommended it apologise to Ms X, pay her £2400 for loss of education; £500 for distress; £300 for delay and act to prevent recurrence.

    Service improvements

    The Council agreed to provide training to special educational needs staff to ensure awareness of the Council's legal duties under the Education Act 1996 and the expectations set out in the Ombudsman's focus report.

  • Suffolk County Council (21 005 081)

    Category: Education Date: 11-Feb-2022

    Summary

    Mrs X complains about the Council’s failure to name a secondary specialist school placement in her grandson’s education, health, and care plan. We find fault with the Council for delays in issuing a final amended EHC plan in 2020. We also find fault with the Council for not issuing a final amended EHC plan in 2021.

    Service improvements

    The Council will remind relevant staff of the importance of issuing EHC plans within the timescales set out in the code of practice.

  • Suffolk County Council (21 003 276)

    Category: Education Date: 02-Dec-2021

    Summary

    Mrs X complained that the Council failed to deal properly with her son’s Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan from when she moved into the area, resulting in loss of education. We have found that the Council was at fault in delaying reviewing the EHC Plan and failing to provide education and support. The Council has agreed a suitable remedy, including a payment for the loss of education.

    Service improvements

    The Council will provide evidence to the Ombudsman of its reminder to staff about recording communication with families and information about dealing with transfers of Education, Health and Care Plans from other local authorities.The Council will remind staff about the duty to consult the schools that parents ask to be named in their child's Education, Health and Care Plan, rather than making their own decision about the suitability of the school without consulting.

  • Suffolk County Council (21 002 326)

    Category: Education Date: 09-Mar-2022

    Summary

    Mr and Mrs X complain the Council failed to ensure appropriate education was provided to meet their son’s, Y’s, needs as set out in his Education, Health, and Care Plan. The Ombudsman finds the Council at fault for not properly considering its duties to provide alternative education. The Council will apologise to Mr and Mrs X and make a payment to reflect the injustice. The Council will also make improvements to its service.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to improve its process to assess whether children are receiving the correct provision.

  • Suffolk County Council (21 001 022)

    Category: Education Date: 23-Feb-2022

    Summary

    We upheld Miss X’s complaint about the Council’s failure to secure the provision in her daughter Y’s education, health and care plan. The Council agreed to apologise to Miss X and Y and make a payment to recognise Y’s lost provision.

    Service improvements

    The Council will remind officers that when arranging alternative provision the Council should ensure it records how it will arrange or secure the provision in a young person’s EHC plan.

  • Suffolk County Council (20 012 908)

    Category: Education Date: 10-Oct-2021

    Summary

    The Council was at fault when it failed to issue an updated Education, Health and Care plan for Mr Y after a Tribunal hearing, and when it failed to secure the provision set out in that plan. This led to Mr Y missing the support he needed and caused his mother, Miss X, distress and frustration. The Council also wrongly transferred Mr Y’s Education, Health and Care plan to a neighbouring authority. This meant that Miss X had to pay for legal advice. The Council agreed to take the recommendations set out to remedy the injustice its actions caused to Miss X and Mr Y.

    Service improvements

    The Council will share this decision to the Council officers dealing with cases of this nature and emphasise the Council’s legal position when considering whether a child with no capacity is ordinarily resident in the Council’s area.

  • Suffolk County Council (20 012 188)

    Category: Education Date: 03-Sep-2021

    Summary

    Ms X complains about the way the Council managed her son’s Education Health and Care (EHC) Plan and transition to adulthood. The Council made decisions too late, outside the EHC process, and without involving the family or other services. This was fault and caused significant distress and inconvenience to the whole family. Recommendations for an apology, financial payment and service improvements are made. The complaint is upheld.

    Service improvements

    The Council will review its processes for Education Health and Care Plans to ensure post-16 transitions are properly planned and appeal rights are provided in a timely way.

  • Suffolk County Council (20 011 599)

    Category: Education Date: 04-Oct-2021

    Summary

    The Council failed to ensure some of the support in Miss Y’s Education Health and Care plan was provided between November 2019 and February 2020. In addition, there were failings in the annual review process and the issuing of an amended plan for Miss Y in 2020. The Council should apologise and pay Miss Y £500 and Mrs X £250 for the injustice caused. It should also review its processes.

    Service improvements

    The Council will review its processes to ensure it checks with education settings whether support has been put in place after issuing final Education Health and Care plans, including amended plans.The Council will remind staff that it remains responsible for the actions of educational settings arranging annual reviews on its behalf, and that staff should make appropriate enquiries where it receives complaints about the process to ensure that legal requirements are satisfied.The Council will review its process to ensure that if an educational setting raises concerns about its ability to provide the support set out in a draft Education Health and Care plan, it addresses those concerns and amends the support if needed, before issuing the final plan and naming the setting.

  • Suffolk County Council (20 009 662)

    Category: Education Date: 09-Mar-2022

    Summary

    Mr and Mrs X complained about matters relating to their son’s Education, Health and Care Plan. We found the Council failed to provide support required by the child’s plan and we also found fault with the Council’s record keeping. The Council has agreed to our recommendations to remedy the injustice caused.

    Service improvements

    The Council agreed to improve its record-keeping.

  • Suffolk County Council (20 009 660)

    Category: Education Date: 10-Feb-2022

    Summary

    the Council failed to follow the code of guidance when reviewing Mrs B’s daughter’s education, health and care plan, failed to ensure the school made all the provision available in the plan, delayed naming a secondary school, failed to put in place alternative education provision and failed to communicate effectively with Mrs B. Changes to procedures already agreed by the Council along with an apology and payment to Mrs B is a satisfactory remedy.

    Service improvements

    Within two months of my decision the Council should provide the Ombudsman with evidence of the changes it has put into place to reflect the remedy it offered for the complaint

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