Case Ref: 24 014 867 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Assessment and care plan

• The Council should send written reminders to relevant staff to say: if it, during a review of a care and support plan, it decides revisions or changes are needed to support already in place, it should contact the person first (or person acting on their behalf) to try and develop these revisions together.

Case Ref: 24 013 321 Category: Education Sub Category: School transport

• The Council will review its policy on Post-16 Transport and revise the wording of the eligibility criteria/tests in Section Three and Section Five to reflect the Council’s duty to provide transport if it is considered ‘necessary’. The Council will properly reflect in its revised policy the difference between the approaches the Council should be taking for young people aged 16-18 and those over 19 and make the finalised revised policy available on its website.
• The Council will review the cases of all post-16 learners who have applied for transport where the Council has used the policy it adopted on 1 June 2024 and identify the cases where it has refused transport at appeal and not used the correct test in law. The Council will then write to the young people identified in its review and invite them to reapply for travel assistance (if still relevant) under its revised policy. The Council will backdate any travel costs incurred by families where it overturns its decision using the revised policy/correct test as set out in law.
• The Council will provide training to all council officers who will make decisions on transport for children and young people under the revised policy, including Appeal Panel Members.

Case Ref: 24 003 351 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Other

• The Council agreed to issue a reminder to relevant staff carrying out assessments in its Children with a Disability Service about the timescales for child in need assessments, as set out in statutory guidance and its own policies.
• The Council agreed to issue a reminder to all corporate complaints staff, and staff who respond to complaints in its Children with a Disability Service, about the requirements of the statutory guidance, ‘Getting the Best from Complaints’. It will remind staff:where it has accepted a complaint at stage 1 of the statutory complaints procedure for children’s social care services, the complainant is entitled to pursue it through stages 2 and 3 if they remain dissatisfied, except in specific circumstances; andit is not a valid reason for refusal to say an investigation could not provide the outcome the complainant is seeking.
• The Council agreed to review its process for carrying out assessments within its Children with a Disability Service, to decide whether the process should involve a multiagency panel. If it decides a multiagency panel should be part of the process, it will:ensure this process is clearly explained within its published policies and procedures, and in staff training, to ensure it applies it consistently across all assessments; andput procedures in place to ensure it keeps records of panel considerations and discussions.

Case Ref: 22 013 855 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council will remind officers dealing with children who are not attending school about the Council’s section 19 responsibility and the options the Council should consider to ensure the child receives education.
• The Council will provide evidence to the Ombudsman of the process the Council has put in place to monitor responses to complaints.

Case Ref: 24 009 084 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Charging

• The Council should review its processes for completing adult social care financial assessments to ensure they are completed promptly and outcomes shared with those affected in a timely manner.

Case Ref: 24 000 679 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Assessment and care plan

• Remind staff in writing of the importance of providing full information about the likely costs of care.

Case Ref: 23 020 343 Category: Education Sub Category: Alternative provision

• The Council will remind relevant Special Educational Needs and Disability staff of the statutory timescales for issuing final Education, Health and Care Plans.
• The Council will remind relevant officers and managers to make and store clear and accurate records of section 19 decision making.
• The Council will provide the Ombudsman with evidence to show its change in complaints handling to ensure all verbal communication is followed up with a written outcome.

Case Ref: 23 016 084 Category: Education Sub Category: Alternative provision

• The Council will remind relevant officers and managers of its statutory duties to provide alternative education provision under Section 19 of the Education Act 1996. It will also consider reviewing its policies and procedures related to these duties and share the Ombudsman's focus report 'Out of school, Out of Sight'. These actions will help to ensure that those who are due alternative education provision receive it in a timely manner and will help to ensure the Council understands and retains oversight and control of its statutory duties.
• The Council will remind relevant officers and managers of its statutory duties under Section 42 of the Children and Families Act 2014 which say it must deliver specialist provision set out in an Education, Health and Care Plan. The Council will also consider reviewing its policies and procedures linked to these statutory duties. This will help to ensure it retains oversight and control of its duty to deliver specialist education set out in any such plans.
• The Council will remind relevant officers and managers of the need to communicate in a timely and transparent manner and to make and store appropriately detailed and contemporaneous records when completing work on special educational needs files. This will help to ensure those affected are properly kept up to date and that records are more detailed, showing what happened and when.
• The Council will remind relevant officers and managers of its duties to promote educational achievement for previously looked after children as per its duties under Section 23ZZA of the Children Act 1989. This will help to ensure those affected are given appropriate opportunities to access education.
• The Council will review its special educational needs transformation plan in relation to alternative educational provision. It will then present this review to the relevant committee to ensure cabinet oversight and scrutiny. This will help to ensure it has adequate plans in place to deliver alternative educational provision to those who are due it.

Case Ref: 23 014 389 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Charging

• The Council has agreed to ensure that it provides more information about the likely level of a person’s contribution before they agree to the care package; and take steps to reduce the time taken to complete the financial assessment process.

Case Ref: 23 013 968 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Assessment and care plan

• The Council will ensure it has enough staff to complete financial assessments without delay.