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 - 10 of 38 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 (23 009 989)

    Category: Education Date: 20-Mar-2024

    Summary

    Ms X complained the Council failed to provide an education for Y, a child in her care, since September 2022 and failed to review Y’s Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan when their needs changed. The Council delayed holding an annual review meeting of Y’s EHC Plan and failed to provide some of the specialist provision set out in their Plan for four and a half terms. The Council agreed to make a payment to Ms X to recognise the injustice caused to her and Y because of the Council’s fault.

    Service improvements

    The Council will review its commissioning arrangements to ensure it has suitable suppliers of alternative provision for children not in school and to establish if the current offer is sufficiently broad to meet need.

  • Surrey County Council (23 007 968)

    Category: Education Date: 09-Feb-2024

    Summary

    Ms X complained the Council failed to carry out an Education, Health and Care Plan needs assessment for her daughter, Y, in line with the timescales and failed to communicate with her. Ms X also complained the Council did not respond to her request for an occupational therapist report. The Council was at fault for failing to complete the needs assessment in line with the guidance. The Council will complete the needs assessment and make a symbolic payment to remedy the frustration caused to Ms X.

    Service improvements

    The Council will advise all staff involved in the Education Health and Care needs assessment process and who deal with Special Educational Need complaints, that where it overturns its decision not to assess for an Education, Health and Care Plan without further evidence and prior to mediation, the original timescales from the date of request will still apply.

  • Surrey County Council (23 007 333)

    Category: Education Date: 25-Jan-2024

    Summary

    The Council’s delay completing Child B’s Education Health and Care plan was fault. The Council was also at fault for failing to put the provision in the plan in place following a decision by the tribunal. The Council failed to communicate effectively with Mrs X throughout the process and delayed responding to her complaint. As a result, B missed out on education for over 30 weeks and Mrs X experienced avoidable financial loss and distress. The Council has agreed to apologise, make payments to B and Mrs X and act to improve its services.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to share a copy of this decision with relevant staff to identify learning fromthis complaint.The Council has agreed to share a copy of the decision and the learning outcomes with the relevantscrutiny committee or cabinet member.The Council has agreed to remind relevant staff of the Council’s policy on children missing education andthat children with EHC plans where all the provision is not in place should bekept under review to ensure cases do not drift.

  • Surrey County Council (23 006 680)

    Category: Education Date: 22-Jan-2024

    Summary

    Mrs X complained the Council failed to make appropriate alternative education provision when her son was not attending school which means his education and prospects have suffered. Mrs X’s son was a school refuser and for the academic year 2021/22 a suitable education was available and accessible. However, when alternative education provision was offered in the academic year 2022/23, Mrs X’s son was placed on a waiting list and no provision provided. This is fault for which a suitable remedy is agreed.

    Service improvements

    Carry out a review of the alternative education services commissioned by the Council to ensure there is adequate capacity to meet demand.

  • Surrey County Council (23 006 177)

    Category: Education Date: 05-Mar-2024

    Summary

    We will not investigate this complaint about the Council not arranging educational provision for Miss X’s child. A legal judgement prevents us investigating matters that are not separable from matters subject to the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal.

    Service improvements

    The Council has agreed to carry out a review of the reasons it did not take action after a Consent Order and whether there are any learning points from that review.

  • Surrey County Council (23 006 172)

    Category: Education Date: 15-Feb-2024

    Summary

    Mrs X complained about the way the Council has dealt with her son, Mr Z’s Education, Health and Care Plan and alternative provision. She said the Council’s actions caused her distress and negatively affected Mr Z’s mental wellbeing. The Council was at fault for not following the statutory procedure during Mr Z’s assessment and failed to provide alternative provision when he stopped attending school. The Council agreed to complete the recommendations set out at the end of this decision to remedy the injustice its actions caused to Mrs X and Mr Z.

    Service improvements

    The Council agreed to report to us on the progress of the full review of its SEN services to ensure it is able to meet all the statutory obligations. This would include a period of action planning and change management. It expects the completed review process to be delivered for September 2024. Additionally the Council will update us about its extensive recovery programme to resolve any out-of-date activities within the statutory SEN servicethe Council agreed to provide a report to a relevant overview and scrutiny committee about the timeliness of EHC plan assessment progress with the Council’s action plan, and what further steps need to be taken to ensure assessments are completed, final EHC plans issued within statutory timescales and alternative provision put in place when required by law.

  • Surrey County Council (23 006 171)

    Category: Education Date: 15-Feb-2024

    Summary

    Mrs X complained about the way the Council has dealt with her son, Y’s, Education, Health and Care Plan and alternative provision. She said the Council’s actions caused her distress and negatively affected Y’s mental wellbeing. We found the Council was at fault for not following the statutory procedure during Y’s assessment and failed to provide alternative provision when he stopped attending school. The Council agreed to complete the recommendations set out at the end of this decision to remedy the injustice its actions caused to Mrs X and Y.

    Service improvements

    The Council agreed to report to us on the progress of the full review of its SEN services to ensure it is able to meet all the statutory obligations. This would include a period of action planning and change management. It expects the completed review process to be delivered for September 2024. Additionally the Council will update us about its extensive recovery programme to resolve any out-of-date activities within the statutory SEN servicethe Council agreed to provide a report to a relevant overview and scrutiny committee about the timeliness of EHC plan assessment progress with the Council’s action plan, and what further steps need to be taken to ensure assessments are completed, final EHC plans issued within statutory timescales and alternative provision put in place when required by law.

  • Surrey County Council (23 006 091)

    Category: Education Date: 05-Jan-2024

    Summary

    Mr X complained about the way the Council handled his son, Y’s Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan reviews and school placement. The Council delayed in amending Y’s EHC plan following the annual review, delayed in identifying an appropriate placement to meet Y’s needs and did not provide Y with all the provision in his plan. The Council agreed to pay Mr X £2,600 to recognise the injustice caused to Y and Mr X, and take action to improve its service.

    Service improvements

    The Council will create a handover template to use where a new case worker is assigned to a child with an Education, Health and Care Plan's case. The template will capture a summary of the case including relevant dates, decision and agreed next actions. The template will ensure a clear and comprehensive handover to avoid drift and delay. The completed handover template will be discussed during the Council’s handover meeting with a senior case manager and documented on the running case record for each handover.The Council will remind staff responsible for identifying school placements for children with Education, Health and Care Plans to make timely and accurate consultations to schools and to provide the most up to date information for the child.

  • Surrey County Council (23 005 178)

    Category: Education Date: 13-Dec-2023

    Summary

    Miss H complained the Council failed to provide her son (X) with enough educational provision as set out in his Education, Health, and Care plan for over two years. We found the Council failed to arrange a suitable placement for X during a seven-month period and caused significant delay in arranging his tuition. It also communicated poorly with Miss H and failed to adhere to the statutory timescales for the annual review process. The Council agreed to apologise and make payment to Miss H to acknowledge the injustice this caused her and X.

    Service improvements

    The Council will share with the Ombudsman its review of its record keeping procedures. This was to ensure it progresses cases where children and young people are unable to engage with their education without delay, and communicates its outcomes with parents.The Council will remind its special educational needs and disability staff of the Council’s duty to ensure it reviews Education, Health, and Care plan at least every 12 months and issues its decisions to cease, maintain, or amend such plans within the statutory timescales.

  • Surrey County Council (23 004 580)

    Category: Education Date: 27-Feb-2024

    Summary

    Mrs X complained the Council delayed in issuing an Education, Health and Care Plan for her son, Y, and failed to make alternative provision available for him while he was out of school. We find the Council at fault for failing to explore alternative provision options. The Council has agreed to apologise to Mrs X and Y, make a payment to recognise the injustice caused by the fault, and act to prevent recurrence.

    Service improvements

    The Council will remind staff dealing with these cases that where they are aware a child is not attending school, it should consider each individual case and its Section 19 duty in accordance with relevant law and guidance.

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