Case Ref: 22 015 508 Category: Other Categories Sub Category: Leisure and culture

• The Council will review all policies applicable to the library in this case, ensuring its takes into account the Council’s duties under the Equality Act 2010 and ensuring it offers service users a right of appeal or review on any decision to exclude. The Council will then publish any updated library policies on its website.
• The Council will provide training or guidance to customer contact staff on any new policies and to ensure they are aware to give reasons for any decisions with reference to the evidence relied on and relevant law or policy.

Case Ref: 22 010 676 Category: Transport and highways Sub Category: Parking and other penalties

• The Council will develop a procedure for dealing with vulnerable debtors, particularly around referring cases to bailiffs.

Case Ref: 22 009 347 Category: Education Sub Category: Alternative provision

• The Council will confirm to us that it has reminded officers of the factors they should consider when deciding whether alternative educational provision needs to be made.

Case Ref: 22 005 087 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• The Council will provide guidance to staff who manage homelessness applications to highlight the issues identified in our decision and ensure a joined up approach is used when dealing with applications.
• The Council will review its approach to applicants subject to a section 21 notice to ensure it is in accordance with the Homelessness Code.
• To remedy potential injustice to others who have not complained the Council will review and amend the allocations policy to ensure that all those entitled to reasonable preference under the Housing Act 1996 receive such preference under the Council’s scheme.
• Following the implementation of its revised allocation policy, the Council will identify all homeless applicants currently owed a homelessness duty under Part 7 of the Housing Act 1996 who do not have an active application to the housing register and write to those applicants explaining the fault found in this investigation and invite them to apply to the housing register.

Case Ref: 22 004 864 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• Remind staff of the requirement to adhere to the statutory timescales regarding the issue of EHC plans
• Remind staff to keep clear and accurate records, in particular when making amendments to EHC plans
• Remind staff to adhere to the Council’s complaints policy

Case Ref: 22 011 873 Category: Environment and regulation Sub Category: Refuse and recycling

• The Council agreed to review its missed bin collection reporting system.

Case Ref: 22 011 189 Category: Environment and regulation Sub Category: Refuse and recycling

• The Council will take action to ensure it has a process in place that allows it to meet its policy to collect rubbish weekly, even where there are faults with its vehicles.
• The Council will review any complaints received from other households about the same issue in the last 12 months and consider whether to provide a remedy for any injustice suffered.

Case Ref: 22 008 539 Category: Education Sub Category: School admissions

• The Council has agreed to review the use and publication of oversubscription criteria, taking account of the issues raised in this decision statement.
• The Council will provide all Panel clerks and Panel members with a copy of this decision statement.

Case Ref: 22 005 271 Category: Education Sub Category: COVID-19

• The Council agreed to remind chairs and clerks of independent admission appeal panels of the importance of keeping clear notes of the panel’s decision-making, especially when dealing with multiple appeals.

Case Ref: 21 018 270 Category: Planning Sub Category: Planning applications

• The Council will send a reminder to officers in the customer feedback team about how to deal with correspondence from those who have received a stage one complaint response to ensure cases are escalated to stage two, where appropriate.