Service improvements

Suffolk County Council

Showing service improvements between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026

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 - 19 of 19 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 (24 015 692)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 12-May-2025

    Summary

    Mrs X complains about how the Council carried out financial assessments for her sons, Mr Y and Mr Z. Mrs X says this has resulted in them being charged for care. We find fault with the Council for its communication about charges, and its consideration of Mrs X’s complaint. We agreed the Council will apologise to Mrs X and carry out service improvements.

    Service improvements

    Within three months of the final decision the Council should:• Carry out service improvements to ensure that complaints are fully responded to;• Review how the Council can improve communication where the Council sends out multiple charging letters on the same day or close together, it will also tell people of the final amount to pay.

  • Suffolk County Council (24 015 439)

    Category: Education Date: 08-Oct-2025

    Summary

    Miss X complained that the Council refused to provide a passenger assistant trained to administer emergency medication for her son Y who has special educational needs. She said this prevented Y from receiving the suitable home to school transport he was entitled to, it had a significant negative impact on Y’s development, and caused financial and emotional impact on the family. We find the Council at fault for the way it made its decision which caused distress. The Council agreed to apologise, make a symbolic payment and amend its policy.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to amend its School Travel Policy to ensure it aligns with the statutory guidance about considering medical training for passenger assistants working on dedicated school transport.

  • Suffolk County Council (24 013 508)

    Category: Education Date: 29-Jun-2025

    Summary

    Ms C complains the Council failed to follow the correct transfer procedures when X moved into the area with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan. Ms C also complains the Council failed to provide the education set out in the EHC Plan. The Council failed to provide X with education it had a duty to provide and in the transfer of the EHC Plan. This caused X to miss education. To remedy the complaint the Council has agreed to make a symbolic payment and service improvements.

    Service improvements

    The Council will:-a) provide a copy of the new policy about how the Council deals with children and young people who enter the Council with an EHC Plan;b) remind staff and provide training by way of staff circular, team meeting, supervision, or sessions so relevant staff are aware of the new policy and its implications;c) remind staff and provide training by way of staff circular, team meeting, supervision, or sessions about who should be invited to EHC Plan reviews and what steps to take when engagement from parents frustrates the review process.

  • Suffolk County Council (24 011 718)

    Category: Children's care services Date: 21-May-2025

    Summary

    Mr and Mrs X complained the Council failed to consider their human rights and the fostering services national minimum standards during the Local Authority Designated Officer process. They also say the Council did not give them an opportunity to respond to the allegations against them until it concluded the process. We find the Council was at fault for failing to follow its guidance and tell Mr and Mrs X about the allegations before it concluded the process. This caused Mr and Mrs X distress, upset and uncertainty. The Council has agreed to our recommendations to apologise to Mr and Mrs X, make a payment to them and implement service improvements.

    Service improvements

    The Council will remind relevant staff that during the Local Authority Designated Officer process they must ensure they provide foster carers with an opportunity to respond to any allegations against them before the investigation is concluded.

  • Suffolk County Council (24 011 338)

    Category: Education Date: 25-Sep-2025

    Summary

    Ms X complained of significant delay in the Council’s assessment of her child for an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan. She also complained the Council did not provide her child with a suitable education. The Council is at fault for failing to meet statutory timescales and failing to provide a suitable education. It has agreed to remedy the injustice caused by making a payment to Ms X for the loss of education and avoidable distress. The Council has also agreed to make service improvements.

    Service improvements

    The Council will ensure it has a handover process between caseworkers and it will remind staff to complete this handover process when there is a change in caseworker for children and young people with Education, Health and Care Plans.

  • Suffolk County Council (24 011 165)

    Category: Education Date: 04-Sep-2025

    Summary

    Ms X complained that the Council failed to provide Speech and Language provision as outlined in her child’s education, health and care (EHC) Plan. The Council is at fault for failing to provide the provision and it failed to meet statutory timeframes in issuing a final EHC Plan following an annual review. This has caused a loss of provision and avoidable distress. The Council has offered a suitable remedy for the loss of provision and it has agreed to remedy the avoidable distress caused by the delay in finalising the EHC Plan. The Council has also agreed to make service improvements.

    Service improvements

    The Council will review what went wrong in this case and identify what actions it can take to reduce delay in decisions by its Panel and ensure provision outlined in an Education, Health and Care Plan continues to be delivered when a reassessment of need is taking place. The outcome of the review and the steps to be put in place to prevent a recurrence will be provided to the Ombudsman.

  • Suffolk County Council (24 010 672)

    Category: Education Date: 09-Jun-2025

    Summary

    The Council failed to arrange the transitional support that Ms X’s child, G, needed when they started school. The Council also failed to communicate with Ms X properly, delayed consulting alternative schools and delayed issuing G’s Education Health and Care Plan. The Council’s faults caused G to miss out on a term of transitional support and caused Ms X and G frustration and uncertainty. To recognise the injustice caused, the Council has agreed to apologise, pay Ms X £800 and take action to improve its services.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to remind staff in its special educational needs and disability (SEND) team and its complaint handling teams that the Council has a duty to make sure the child or young person receives the special educational provision set out in section F of an Education, Health and Care Plan and this duty is non-delegable. The Council should not inform parents or carers that this is the responsibility of the school.

  • Suffolk County Council (24 008 929)

    Category: Children's care services Date: 16-Apr-2025

    Summary

    Mrs X complains that the Council failed to provide any support for her wellbeing when it carried out a parent carer needs assessment. The Council was at fault as it failed to consider Mrs X’s circumstances and fettered its discretion when refusing to provide financial support to meet Mrs X’s eligible outcomes. This fault caused distress and uncertainty to Mrs X. The Council has agreed to remedy the injustice to Mrs X by apologising and considering again what support it can offer Mrs X to meet her eligible outcomes as a result of caring for two of her children.

    Service improvements

    Review its approach or policy to providing support to meet the eligible outcomes of parent carers to ensure officers consider individual circumstances when deciding what support can be offered. This is to ensure the Council does not fetter its discretion when considering what support should be offered to meet eligible outcomes

  • Suffolk County Council (24 008 195)

    Category: Education Date: 01-Jun-2025

    Summary

    Mrs X complained about how the Council handled her son’s Education, Health and Care Plan process. We have found fault with the Council for failing to meet statutory timescales which delayed Mrs X’s right of appeal and caused Mrs X and her son distress and uncertainty. The Council has agreed to remedy this injustice.

    Service improvements

    Provide evidence of the staff training that has taken place to improve record keeping to prevent delays when case workers change roles.Arrange a transition review with Mrs X and Y to include representatives from family services and adult community services to discuss Y’s future plans;

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