Service improvements

Swindon Borough Council

Showing service improvements between 1 April 2021 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 1 - 10 of 15 cases with service improvements

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

  • Swindon Borough Council (24 014 388)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 26-Nov-2025

    Summary

    Mrs X complained about the Council’s handling of her late mother’s care. We found fault because the Council was too slow to begin assessment and planning processes, too slow to share care cost information and did not always follow up on actions or effectively communicate with Mrs X. This caused her avoidable distress, frustration and uncertainty. To remedy this injustice, the Council has agreed to apologise and make a symbolic payment to her.

    Service improvements

    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.

  • Swindon Borough Council (24 003 899)

    Category: Transport and highways Date: 13-Jan-2025

    Summary

    Ms W complained the Council failed to accept responsibility for flooding and has not taken corrective action to fix defective road drainage. We have found the Council at fault for failing to complete repair work to damaged drainage. To remedy the injustice caused the Council has agreed to apologise to Ms W and repair the defective road drainage.

    Service improvements

    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.

  • Swindon Borough Council (23 019 908)

    Category: Adult care services Date: 14-Nov-2024

    Summary

    Mr X complained about how the Council handled Mrs Y’s care and the family’s requests for a residential placement. He also complained about the Council’s safeguarding actions after Mrs Y suffered injuries following a medical emergency. Mr X said this distressed Mrs Y and her family. There was fault in the way the Council did not complete appropriate assessments, delayed completing the safeguarding investigation and did not follow its complaint process. Mr X and Mrs Y were caused uncertainty and distressed by the fault identified. The Council should apologise, make a financial payment and provide guidance to its staff.

    Service improvements

    •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.

  • Swindon Borough Council (23 005 591)

    Category: Education Date: 20-Dec-2023

    Summary

    Miss X complained about the Council’s failure to complete an Education, Health and Care Needs assessment for her son within statutory timeframes. We found the Council at fault for delays in the process. The Council has agreed to our recommendations to remedy this injustice.

    Service improvements

    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.

  • Swindon Borough Council (22 012 541)

    Category: Education Date: 24-May-2023

    Summary

    Miss C complained the Council failed to provide her son with Alternative Provision when he was unable to attend school. She also said it failed to comply with the Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan process. We found the Council failed to meet its duty to provide Alternative Provision which caused Miss C and her son distress, and he had a loss of education. There was no fault in the EHC plan process, and other parts of the complaint were either late or can be appealed to a tribunal.

    Service improvements

    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.

  • Swindon Borough Council (22 012 439)

    Category: Children's care services Date: 10-May-2023

    Summary

    Mr and Mrs E complained how the Council handled allegations they raised about an incident that took place at their son’s school. They also say the Council failed to comply with the timescales set out in its complaints procedure and the statutory guidance. We find some fault with the way the Council dealt with the allegations Mr and Mrs E raised. The Council apologised to Mr and Mrs E, offered them a suitable financial payment and implemented service improvements. However, the Council was also at fault for its delays during the statutory complaints procedure and for how it responded to the investigating officer’s report. The Council has agreed to our recommendations to implement further service improvements to prevent a recurrence of the fault.

    Service improvements

    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.

  • Swindon Borough Council (22 010 540)

    Category: Education Date: 21-May-2023

    Summary

    Miss X complained the Council failed to provide education to her daughter while out of school for the past seven years, resulting in missed education and distress. We did not investigate matters prior to September 2021 as they are out of time. We found the Council at fault because it did not promptly consider whether to enforce attendance or arrange provision and it handled Miss X’s complaint poorly. We recommended the Council apologise to Miss X, pay £150 for distress, pay £150 for time and trouble and act to prevent recurrence.

    Service improvements

    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.

  • Swindon Borough Council (22 010 414)

    Category: Children's care services Date: 20-Aug-2023

    Summary

    The Council was at fault for how it arranged contact sessions between Miss X’s two children while one of them was in care. It was also at fault for how it dealt with Miss X’s complaints. It has agreed to offer symbolic payments to recognise the injustice caused. It has also agreed to offer a further symbolic payment to recognise the injustice caused by a separate matter – communication with Miss X prior to care proceedings – for which it accepted it was at fault before our involvement.

    Service improvements

    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.

  • Swindon Borough Council (22 005 953)

    Category: Environment and regulation Date: 10-Mar-2023

    Summary

    Mr K complains the Council has refused to deal with his reports of anti-social behaviour. Instead it told him to contact the police. But the police refused to consider the issue. The Ombudsman’s decision is the Council was at fault for not doing more to consider Mr K’s complaint. And for not having a ‘Community Trigger’ process, where Mr K could have asked the Council and its partners to review their response to his reports. The Council has agreed to our recommendations.

    Service improvements

    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.

  • Swindon Borough Council (22 001 043)

    Category: Children's care services Date: 09-Nov-2022

    Summary

    Mr and Mrs X complained the Council failed to provide them with appropriate information about two children they adopted in 2019 which they say contributed to the breakdown of the placement. There was no fault in how the Council investigated Mr and Mrs X’s complaints under the statutory children’s complaints procedure or the recommendations made. It agreed to provide us with evidence it has completed them. The Council significantly delayed carrying out the complaints procedure and failed to provide Mr and Mrs X with the stage 3 report which was fault. It agreed to pay them £300 to remedy the injustice that caused.

    Service improvements

    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.

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