Case Ref: 21 008 739 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council will highlight the capacity issues in local special schools and children's social care support identified in this case to the relevant Scrutiny Committee of elected Members.

Case Ref: 21 001 705 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: COVID-19

• The Council agreed to remind staff that direct payment agreements must only be terminated as a last resort.
• The Council agreed that where a direct payment agreement was in jeopardy because the person does not wish to have a prepaid card to pay for care services, it would consider if other methods of payment were appropriate.

Case Ref: 21 001 427 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Charging

• Ensure the information the Council provides to service users and their families about deferred payment arrangements is up to dat an clear regarding timescales
• Remind staff to be clear in their communications with service user and their families about processes and timescales

Case Ref: 21 000 200 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Residential care

• The Council will write to the Ombudsmen to explain what action it will take to ensure the care home has: - a robust procedure in place for supporting new residents to make an informed choice about whether they wish to register with a new GP practice; and - a robust protocol in place for the administration of palliative medications. This should include a process for receiving, storing, administering and recording palliative medications.

Case Ref: 20 013 869 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Looked after children

• The Council will: • Review its policy on contact sessions and communication with parents (or other family members) of children subject of an SGO. If it does not have a policy, it should consider producing one or how it could be added into a relevant existing policy.
• • Remind relevant officers of the functions included in the statutory complaint procedure and who can make a complaint.

Case Ref: 20 012 527 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Other

• The Council has agreed to review whether there are no longer any shortcomings with regards to the care provider's record keeping.

Case Ref: 20 010 454 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Transport

• The Council shouldprovide evidence of how it has reviewed and updated its desktop assessmentprocess for Blue Badge applications.

Case Ref: 20 008 267 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Charging

• The Council has agreed to change its procedure and allow people to challenge a decision by the Council, when it decides not to apply a discretionary property disregard.

Case Ref: 20 007 732 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Disabled children

• The Council has agreed to consider whether there is a more suitable method for cases to be kept open that can be used by staff where Child In Need is not a suitable choice.
• The Council will communicate with staff about the appropriateness of using Child in Need records when the case does not meet the threshold. The Council will also consider whether this administrative error has impacted on any other cases held with the Council.

Case Ref: 20 006 584 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council was at fault for a failure to provide the complainant with information she requested and should have received. During the course of the investigation, it became clear that it had also failed to provide the Ombudsman with information we had requested. Therefore, the Council should take steps to improve its information management systems and to ensure that important information is stored in easily accessible form. It should write to the Ombudsman within two months of the date of this decision and set out what steps it has taken.