Case Ref: 24 015 180 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• Within three months of the decision, the Council will:Review the delays it has encountered in securing a speech and language therapist in this matter and create a plan to avoid a recurrence of this.Create a long-term plan to deal with the issues it has faced in securing an occupational therapist going forward.

Case Ref: 24 006 343 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council will review its decision-making process by SEN panels to ensure:a) when making decisions SEN panels give enough details to allow case officers making specific arrangements for children and young people with SEN;b) there is a system in place for checking how outcomes of the SEN panels have been implemented.
• The Council will ensure new SEN case officers receive briefing when taking over children’s cases.

Case Ref: 24 010 958 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• Within three months of the decision, the Council will: • Through managerial oversight or other appropriate means, ensure the Council promptly accepts the prevention duty and issues a personalised housing plan when satisfied an applicant is threatened with homelessness. • Provide training or guidance to relevant staff on deciding when a private tenant served a notice is homeless and how to record this to demonstrate regard for Chapter 6of the Code of Guidance in every case.• Remind relevant staff that no one owed the interim accommodation duty should be evicted by bailiffs because the Council has not provided accommodation.2. The Council should provide us with evidence it has complied with the above actions.

Case Ref: 23 016 883 Category: Environment and regulation Sub Category: Refuse and recycling

• The Council agreed to send a further reminder to the relevant crew about arrangements for collecting recycling bins on this side of the road.

Case Ref: 23 016 355 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• The Council has agreed to provide a copy of this decision statement to officers that process housing applications to make them aware of the need to avoid taking an overly restrictive approach when assessing evidence provided by applicants.

Case Ref: 23 014 983 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• The Council has also agreed that it will issue a reminder to relevant staff of the duty to carry out an assessment if there is reason to believe a person may be homeless or threatened with homelessness within the next 56 days.

Case Ref: 23 013 462 Category: Education Sub Category: School admissions

• The Council will update its Fair Access Protocol to include a process and timescale for referrals to the Secretary of State for the direction of admission to academy schools.
• The Council will arrange internal training with its officers in the Admissions/Fair Access Protocol/Children Missing in Education teams to go over the service improvements. The Council will also use the training to refresh officers’ knowledge around the Fair Access Protocol and the requirement to escalate applications without delay if a pupil is off-roll and not receiving any education.

Case Ref: 22 016 333 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• By training or other means remind relevant staff of the requirement to carry out an Education, Health and Care assessment within four weeks of notifying the Tribunal it has conceded and agreed to assess a child or young person.
• Remind relevant staff of the requirement to issue a final Education, Health and Care Plan within 20 weeks from the date an assessment was requested.
• Provide guidance to relevant staff about the importance of making reasonable adjustments such as arranging advocates for service users to access its services. This is to ensure the Council complies with its legal obligations under the Equality Act 2010.
• By training or other means remind relevant staff of the importance of completing carer’s assessments to ensure support needs for carers are identified and met in a timely manner.

Case Ref: 23 004 040 Category: Education Sub Category: School transport

• The Council will review its transport policy and ensure it is in line with the position set out in S and another v Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council [2012] EWCA Civ 3

Case Ref: 23 002 787 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• Issue a briefing note to staff who deal with housing applications and reviews, reminding them of the need to consider the full extent of the Council's discretion under paragraphs 1.2.2.2 and 1.2.2.4.