Service improvements

Swindon Borough 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 - 5 of 5 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 (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.

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