Case Ref: 23 002 103 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• Produce an action plan to demonstrate how the council will meet statutory timescales for EHCP annual reviews.
• Complete a review of its policy regarding the making and recording of reasonable adjustments in relation to Council services.
• Provide us with evidence it has complied with the actions it has already said it will take, together with evidence of any outcomes, outlined below:•Reviews its EHCP process to ensure there is no confusion in responsibilities.•Reviews its Personal budget process to ensure there is clear process for review.•Ensure staff receive training on the Equality Act.•Reviews its business continuity plan to ensure key performance timescales are protected when normal business is interrupted.•Support staff named within the complaint to understand the limits of their role and provide appropriate training.

Case Ref: 23 001 803 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Charging

• Council will identify how error occurred in the classification of a placement and take steps to avoid recurrence.

Case Ref: 23 001 242 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• Review procedures to ensure it meets it duties around EHC plan timescales.
• Issue schools with guidance about inviting all professionals/services named in EHC plan to review meetings and ensuring these meetings are minuted.

Case Ref: 22 012 545 Category: Education Sub Category: Alternative provision

• Remind relevant staff to complete annual reviews of EHC Plans in accordance with statutory timescales set out in the law, Regulations and Code.
• By training or otherwise, remind staff of the importance of adhering to the Council’s complaint procedure.

Case Ref: 22 011 832 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council has agreed to identify and implement an improved system whereby it is able to identify when Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan cases have failed to meet statutory targets, to confirm the action it is taking following an annual review of the EHC plans and have a policy that explains what action the Council will take when the target is not met; i.e. how it will escalate such cases for further action and by whom etc.

Case Ref: 22 001 540 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• Provide guidance to staff about the Council’s duties in relation to s19 alternative education provision and their responsibilities in respect of this.
• Provide guidance to staff regarding following the Council’s complaints policy.

Case Ref: 21 017 943 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• Provide guidance to staff relating to the EHCP annual review process and their responsibilities within it; and
• Undertake a review at director level of Mrs B’s case and provide a report to the Ombudsman outlining its findings and detailing any additional learning or service improvements identified.

Case Ref: 22 009 319 Category: Benefits and tax Sub Category: COVID-19

• The Council will ensure it has procedures in place so that its complaints team responds to any expression of dissatisfaction as a complaint.

Case Ref: 22 003 257 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Residential care

• Remind staff about the importance of identifying all presenting needs and where the Council commissions services there is transparency about the needs identified;
• Through contract monitoring the Council should ensure the Care Provider has taken the actions set out at paragraph 22 which include: 1. updating the assessment process to include more information around mental health; 2. getting medical history to outline any undisclosed prescribed medications behaviours, before deciding around moving into the home; 3. at preassessment asking direct questions about behaviours and reasons residential care is needed, 4. any resident who displays a behaviour that challenges should have an Antecedent, Behaviour, and Consequence (ABC) chart, and staff should complete incident forms; 5. reminding staff to make referrals to other professionals such as the GP; 6. recording advice from other professionals.
• Through contract monitoring the Council should ensure the Care Provider has a policy about the use of doll therapy and this is discussed with families.

Case Ref: 21 014 226 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Domiciliary care

• The Council has agreed to share the faults identified with the care provider.