Service improvements

Suffolk County Council

Showing service improvements between 1 April 2018 and 31 March 2027

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 91 - 100 of 108 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 (21 007 106)

    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 (21 006 888)

    Category: Children's care services Date: 22-Jun-2022

    Summary

    Mr X complains about the Council’s actions and final response to a Review Panel’s recommendation following investigation via the statutory complaint procedure. Mr X also complains about a Council staff member he says wrongly gave the police information about his work history and recorded false allegations about him in the family’s social care notes. He complains about the Council’s delay and refusal to deal with his complaint. The Council was at fault for its failure to adhere to the Review Panel’s recommendations and carry out the agreed actions. The Council was also at fault for its delays in handling Mr X’s second complaint. This has caused Mr X distress, frustration and time and trouble chasing the Council for updates. The Council will take action to remedy the injustice caused to Mr X.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to: •by training or other means remind staff of the importance of meeting the Council’s complaint procedure timescales

  • Suffolk County Council (21 002 128)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 09-Jan-2023

    Summary

    Ms X complained the Council failed to provide her with adequate care and support. We found fault with the Council for failing to complete a suitable review of Ms X’s care needs and delays in providing direct payments. The Council agreed to our recommendation to backdate Ms X’s care fees for her missed therapy support, apologise to Ms X and pay her £300 for the distress and inconvenience caused. The Council also agreed to provide training to staff about the importance of accurate record keeping.

    Service improvements

    Provide training to its staff about the importance of record keeping

  • 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.

  • Suffolk County Council (20 010 859)

    Category: Children's care services Date: 22-Jun-2022

    Summary

    Mr X complains about the Council’s actions and final response to a Review Panel’s recommendation following investigation via the statutory complaint procedure. Mr X also complains about a Council staff member he says wrongly gave the police information about his work history and recorded false allegations about him in the family’s social care notes. He complains about the Council’s delay and refusal to deal with his complaint. The Council was at fault for its failure to adhere to the Review Panel’s recommendations and carry out the agreed actions. The Council was also at fault for its delays in handling Mr X’s second complaint. This has caused Mr X distress, frustration and time and trouble chasing the Council for updates. The Council will take action to remedy the injustice caused to Mr X.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to: by training or other means remind staff of the importance of meeting the Council’s complaint procedure timescales.

  • 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 (21 003 447)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 08-Mar-2022

    Summary

    Mr X complained on behalf of Mr Y about the Council’s changes to his direct payment and support plan when it removed mileage costs and acupuncture. He said this caused Mr Y much stress and it created a shortfall in his account. We find the Council was not at fault in deciding not to fund these, but it did not make this clear to Mr Y in the case of the mileage costs for years. The Council has agreed to apologise and backdate the allowance to 30 September 2020 (the point where it has clear evidence Mr Y was told it would no longer be allowed).

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to review its processes to ensure that any changes to direct payments are clearly communicated and only take effect following a review.

  • 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 (21 002 940)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 17-Feb-2022

    Summary

    Mr X complained the Council changed and suspended his son, Mr Y’s, direct payments during 2020 without adequate communication or explanation. The Council was at fault for failing to pay Mr Y’s respite payment since 2020 despite it being an assessed care and support need. The Council agreed to apologise and pay Mr X a total of £500 to recognise the frustration, uncertainty, time and trouble and loss of opportunity that caused. It agreed to reinstate the respite payment. An administrative error also meant Mr Y did not receive his direct payment during October 2020. The Council has already apologised to Mr X and paid the missing amount which is a suitable remedy.

    Service improvements

    The Council agreed to remind staff to refer complainants to the Ombudsman in all final complaint responses. The referral should include details of how complainants can complain to us.

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