Service improvements

Surrey 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 21 - 26 of 26 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 (24 012 666)

    Category: Education Date: 18-Sep-2025

    Summary

    Mrs X complained about the Council’s handling of her son’s Education, Health and Care annual review and alternative provision after he stopped attending school in summer 2024. We found the Council delayed proper assessment of its section 19 duties after June 2024 and delayed putting alternative provision in place for the child. The Council also failed to consult special schools and was late to issue a final amended EHC Plan following and annual review in June 2024. This caused Mrs X and her son frustration and delayed support the Council agreed to in December 2024. The Council agreed to remedy the injustice its actions caused them.

    Service improvements

    The Council agreed to issue a reminder to staff about the importance of checking if the Council had completed its own recommendations made as part of the corporate complaint process and about the importance of assessing and documenting the Council’s decision in relation to its section 19 duties.

  • Surrey County Council (24 011 748)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 06-Aug-2025

    Summary

    Mr C complains the Council wrongly refused his application for a Blue Badge and the assessment caused him physical pain. I have found procedural fault in the Council’s Blue Badge assessment which creates doubt about the outcome reached. To remedy the complaint the Council has agreed to apologise to Mr C, and make service improvements.

    Service improvements

    The Council should through its contract monitoring remind Access Independent about the importance of recording accurately.

  • Surrey County Council (24 010 959)

    Category: Education Date: 27-May-2025

    Summary

    Miss B complained the Council’s Education, Health and Care Plan process failed her son, X. Miss B says X has been placed in an unsuitable placement and is receiving little to no education. We found the Council at fault for a delay in issuing a final Education, Health and Care Plan following an annual review and failing to consider its section 42 duty once it was aware X was not attending school. This has caused distress, frustration and uncertainty to Miss B and X. The Council has agreed to apologise, make a symbolic payment and complete service improvements to remedy the injustice caused.

    Service improvements

    The Council will issue a reminder to the schools in its area, explaining the annual review process and timeframes for sending the annual review paperwork following the annual review meeting.

  • Surrey County Council (24 008 742)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 13-May-2025

    Summary

    Miss X complained about how the Council managed her care needs after the previous arrangement broke down and it did not provide her with the support or hours she needed. We found the Council at fault for significant delays with a reassessment of her needs and how it decided her care hours. The Council has agreed to apologise to Miss X, make a symbolic payment, and take action to prevent recurrence of fault.

    Service improvements

    The Council should send written reminders to relevant staff about what exceptions apply if an adult with care and support needs refuses an assessment, in line with Section 11 of the Care Act 2014. If these apply, the Council must carry out an assessment as far as practicable and record this.The Council should send written reminders to relevant staff to ensure that if the Council is arranging care support, and intends to change a service user’s documented support hours temporarily, it should communicate and explain the reasons to the service user first.

  • Surrey County Council (24 007 581)

    Category: Education Date: 06-Apr-2025

    Summary

    Mr X complained the Council failed to secure the provision set out in Y’s Education, Health and Care Plan when she moved into its area. We find the Council at fault for failing to secure the provision set out in Y’s plan, causing a loss of education and uncertainty The Council has agreed to apologise, make a payment to recognise the injustice and act to prevent recurrence.

    Service improvements

    The Council will remind staff in its Special Educational Needs and Disability team of the need to follow the Special Educational Needs and Disability Regulations during the transferring in process, where it has adopted the Education, Health and Care Plan of a child or young person who has moved into the Council's area from another Council's area.The Council will remind staff dealing with complaints of the importance of putting forward a tangible remedy as a conclusion to the complaints process when identifying fault and injustice.

  • Surrey County Council (24 002 512)

    Category: Education Date: 15-Jul-2025

    Summary

    Miss X complained that the Council failed to comply with statutory timescales following a Tribunal decision and did not ensure her son, Y, received the special educational provision set out in his EHCP. We have concluded our investigation with a finding of fault by the Council. These faults caused Y to miss education and support he was entitled to, and led to significant distress and uncertainty for Miss X. The Council has agreed to our recommendations and service improvements.

    Service improvements

    Review its procedures to ensure appropriate oversight is maintained where children are out of school. The review should demonstrate evidence of:1. Clear allocation of case responsibility, including continuity during staff absence;2. Regular monitoring and adequate record keeping of provision arranged outside of school settings;3. Mechanisms to identify and respond promptly where provision in an EHCP is not being delivered.

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