Service improvements

Surrey County Council

Showing service improvements between 1 April 2023 and 31 March 2024

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 - 3 of 3 cases with service improvements

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

  • Surrey County Council (23 004 581)

    Category: Children's care services Date: 12-Jan-2024

    Summary

    Mr X complains about several issues concerning how the Council responded to his request for some post adoption support. He complains about several delays, the support proposed, advice given and the Council’s refusal to fund some of the family’s costs. The Ombudsman’s decision is there was fault with some delays and with not responding to Mr X’s complaint through the statutory children’s complaint procedure. The Council has agreed to our recommendations to remedy the injustice caused to Mr X and his family. But we cannot question the merits of the professional assessment, or the proposed therapy that was commissioned from that assessment.

    Service improvements

    The Council has delayed in reviewing its post adoption support procedure. It has agreed to carry out the review.

  • Surrey County Council (23 003 807)

    Category: Children's care services Date: 14-Nov-2023

    Summary

    Mrs B says the Council failed to provide her with any advice, support or options when she took on care of her niece in 2020, unreasonably refused to consider her complaint about that and failed to provide her with any advice about securing a special guardianship order. The Council failed to recognise its involvement in setting up the placement in 2020, failed to consider Mrs B’s complaint and failed to give her any advice about special guardianship. Backdated payments, funding for some legal advice for Mrs B and training for officers is satisfactory remedy.

    Service improvements

    The Council will carry out a training session for social workers to ensure they know about the Council’s responsibilities under the Children’s Act and the Council’s family and friends policy. That training should include information about what advice and support should be provided to those potentially taking on the care of a child and the information to be given about the options, including financial.

  • Surrey County Council (22 005 703)

    Category: Children's care services Date: 26-Jun-2023

    Summary

    We find the Council at fault for delays in providing an outcome and failing to advise Mrs X of her rights under the children’s statutory complaints process. The Council also kept poor records and delayed in its communications with Mrs X. The Council should review procedures, apologise to Mrs X, make payments in recognition of uncertainty, frustration and time and trouble. It should also complete an investigation under stage two of ‘Getting the Best from Complaints’ within the timescales set out in that guidance.

    Service improvements

    The Council should review its procedures for handling statutory complaints about children’s services so they are clear that complainants can progress to stage two if they are unhappy with the outcome of Alternative Dispute Resolution.The Council should review the use of mediation/Alternative Dispute Resolution and ensure that the process sets out how recommendations of an independent facilitator are to be considered, actioned and communicated to a complainant.

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