Case Ref: 24 014 388 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Charging

• The Council will provide us evidence of its improved financial procedures related to Care Act financial assessments and sharing of information about care home costs. These process changes will help to ensure financial assessments are started in a timely manner and that those paying their own care home fees are aware of the costs at the earliest opportunity.

Case Ref: 24 003 899 Category: Transport and highways Sub Category: Highway repair and maintenance

• The Council will remind its highway maintenance and customer service teams about following its complaint policy, including to ensure a response is provided at Stage 1 and that a Stage 2 response is provided by a Service Manager which appropriately addresses all points and the outcome of complaints.

Case Ref: 23 019 908 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Domiciliary care

• •Remind relevant staff of the importance of effective complaint handling.
• •Remind relevant staff of the Council duties under the Care Act 2014 relating to assessments and safeguarding concerns.
• •Remind relevant staff of the Council duties under the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

Case Ref: 23 005 591 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council should review its processes to ensure it issues final EHC Plans within statutory timescales and minimises delays. It should send written guidance and reminders to appropriate staff members.

Case Ref: 22 012 541 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council will complete a review to ensure it meets its statutory duty to arrange Alternative Provision to children who are not attending school for reasons of illness, health or otherwise, which is expected to last for 15 school days or more without delay. Including, how it can monitor any arrangement made remains in place and suitable for children.

Case Ref: 22 012 439 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Child protection

• The Council will review the operation of its statutory complaints procedure to identify where it can make changes to prevent delays.
• The Council will issue written reminders to relevant staff to ensure the response to an investigating officer’s report is sufficiently detailed and fully addresses the complainant’s desired outcomes.

Case Ref: 22 010 540 Category: Education Sub Category: Alternative provision

• The Council will amend its complaint response letter templates to ensure it signposts complainants to the next stage in the complaints process and to the Ombudsman upon its final response.
• The Council will provide training or guidance to Council staff responsible for school attendance to ensure they are aware of the Council’s duty under section 9 of the Education Act 1996 to arrange education for children out of school and the Ombudsman’s expectation that a council should act even if a child remains on roll at school.

Case Ref: 22 010 414 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Looked after children

• The Council has agreed to send us an action plan setting out how it will avoid similar communication, sibling contact and complaints-handling problems happening again in future. In doing so, it will consider the possibility of staff training, staff supervision, and procedural changes.

Case Ref: 22 005 953 Category: Environment and regulation Sub Category: Antisocial behaviour

• The Council has agreed to introduce a Community Trigger process, policy and procedure.
• The Council will ensure information about antisocial behaviour procedures and the Community Trigger is available to the general public including on the Council’s website.
• The Council will carry out a review of its current procedures and advice to staff about how to respond to antisocial behaviour complaints, to ensure the Council is acting in line with government and local guidance and processes. It may want to consider whether a specific council policy on antisocial behaviour is required.
• The Council will send a reminder to its officers working in its Community Safety Partnership Team of the importance of keeping accurate and complete records.

Case Ref: 22 001 043 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Other

• The Council investigated a complaint under the statutory children's complaints procedure about a failure to provide appropriate information about children prior to their adoption which resulted in it agreeing to a number of recommendations. The Council agreed to provide the Ombudsman with evidence it has carried out the recommendations agreed at stages 2 and 3 of the procedure. This includesreminding staff to handle data correctly;reminding staff and relevant partners to ensure prospective adoptors are aware of support mechanisms available to them and to manage expectations around the available support;reminding duty managers to keep written logs of the calls and advice given to adopters.give scrutiny to the matching and adoption process to identify any learning.