Service improvements

Suffolk County Council

Showing service improvements between 1 April 2022 and 31 March 2023

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 11 - 18 of 18 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 (21 016 818)

    Category: Education Date: 26-Oct-2022

    Summary

    Mrs B complained on behalf of her son, Mr D that the Council failed to provide some of the provision specified in his Education, Health, and Social Care Plan. She also says it missed statutory timescales and caused avoidable delay in reviewing her complaint. We find the Council was at fault for failing to provide some of Mr D’s provision, failing to meet the statutory time limits and failed to properly deal with her complaints. This caused Mr D and Mrs B an injustice of loss of provision, anxiety, frustration, and put Mrs B to the time and trouble of complaining. The Council has agreed to remedy the injustice caused.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to share this decision with staff dealing with EHCP's reminding them to adhere to statutory timescales and to follow its complaints policy.

  • Suffolk County Council (21 015 887)

    Category: Education Date: 04-Aug-2022

    Summary

    Ms B says the Council failed to provide education to her son when she moved into the Council’s area and unreasonably refused to take her complaint to stage two. The Council delayed putting in place provision for Ms B’s son. An apology, reminder to officers and payment to Ms B is satisfactory remedy.

    Service improvements

    The Council will send a memo to officers in education to remind them of the need to consider putting in place alternative provision, including home tuition, when a child is out of education and an alternative placement cannot be identified immediately.

  • Suffolk County Council (21 014 086)

    Category: Education Date: 04-Jul-2022

    Summary

    Mrs X complained the Council failed to provide her son, F with education and provision in line with his Education, Health and Care Plan. The Council failed to provide therapy and provision and did not put in place adequate alternative provision for F between March and October 2021. There was no fault from October 2021 onwards as Mrs X chose to Electively Home Educate F from this point. The Council should pay Mrs X a total of £1950.00 to recognise F’s loss of educational provision and for the distress and time and trouble caused to her.

    Service improvements

    The Council agreed to explain what action it has taken to ensure its officers monitor and check with schools around whether they are providing provision in line with Education, Health and Care Plans following complaints and concerns from parents and carers.

  • Suffolk County Council (21 010 279)

    Category: Education Date: 19-Sep-2022

    Summary

    Mrs X complains about the Council’s handling of her requests for support since her child (Child Y) has been absent or unable to attend school. The Council’s delay in completing the Education, Health and Care Plan assessment and response to Mrs X’s stage two complaint was fault. The Council was also at fault for not providing appropriate alternative education to Child Y since November 2019. These faults caused avoidable and significant distress to Child Y and their family. The Council has agreed to our recommendation to improve its offer to remedy the injustice caused. The Council will also review and amend its procedures to ensure it takes appropriate action sooner when a child is absent from school because of health, exclusion or otherwise.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to review its procedures to ensure it considers an ATS referral as soon asa child is reported absent from school for 15 days and seeks a professionalopinion on the amount and type of alternative education a child can cope withwhile out of school, to best meet their needs.

  • Suffolk County Council (21 008 252)

    Category: Education Date: 08-Nov-2022

    Summary

    The Council failed to act in 2019 when it became aware that Mr X’s grandson’s school could no longer meet his needs. It delayed in consulting with possible suitable placements and failed to arrange suitable alternative provision when the child could not attend school. The Council also delayed in issuing an amended education, health and care plan following the annual review in October 2020 and failed to issue a final plan. In recognition of the injustice caused, the Council has agreed to issue a final EHCP and provide the child with suitable alternative education until it secures a new placement for him. It has also agreed to make a payment to Mr X.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed that it will:issue guidance to relevant staff that, where possible, the Council should consult with several schools at the same time to reduce delays in finding suitable alternative placements for pupils;issue a reminder to relevant staff that annual reviews must be held within 12 months of the date when the first EHCP is issued and then within 12 months of any previous review; andremind relevant staff of the need to put in place alternative provision when a child is out of education and an alternative placement cannot be identified immediately.The Council has also agreed to make changes to its record-keeping to ensure that minutes are taken of panel meetings and that these are retained.

  • Suffolk County Council (21 008 105)

    Category: Education Date: 28-Apr-2022

    Summary

    Ms E complained the Council did not provide her son with the education and specialist provision as set out in his Education, Health and Care plan when he started a new school in September 2020. We find the Council was at fault for failing to provide Ms E’s son with alternative education when he was not attending school. It has also delayed finalising his Education, Health and Care plan. The Council has agreed to our recommendations to address the injustice caused by fault.

    Service improvements

    The Council will issue written reminders to relevant staff to ensure they are aware of the timescales to finalise an EHC plan after an annual reviewThe Council will issue written reminders to relevant staff to ensure they are aware of the Council’s duties under section 19 of theEducation Act 1996 to provide provision orsuitable education for children of compulsory age who cannot attend schoolbecause of exclusion, medical reasons or otherwise.

  • Suffolk County Council (21 007 106)

    Category: Education Date: 24-Nov-2022

    Summary

    Miss X complains on behalf of her son, B, about the Council’s response to concerns raised about B’s care and support. Ms X also complains the Council failed to complete actions agreed as part of its complaints procedure. We have found fault with some of the Council’s actions. We have made recommendations to remedy the injustice caused. We have not found the Council at fault for not having a specific strategy for internet safety. We have not investigated whether the compensation already offered by the Council is suitable. The upcoming multiagency investigation is better placed to consider this part of Miss X’s complaint.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to review the terms of reference for its Complex Needs Panel. This will clarify what information can be shared with parents and carers, and promote transparency in the Council's decision-making.

  • Suffolk County Council (20 011 531)

    Category: Education Date: 05-Apr-2022

    Summary

    We upheld Mrs X’s complaint about a lack of special educational needs provision for her son, Y. The Council failed to take steps to secure the provision Y needed. We also found fault with how the Council oversaw Y’s annual review, and how it handled Mrs X’s complaints. The Council agreed to take action to remedy the injustice to Mrs X and Y.

    Service improvements

    The Council will provide the Ombudsman with an update on its progress with the action plan it developed following the independent review of its SEND service in 2021.The Council will remind officers investigating complaints about the Ombudsman’s ‘Guidance on Effective Complaint Handling in Local Authorities’ which gives advice on what to include in decision letters.

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