Case Ref: 23 015 529 Category: Transport and highways Sub Category: Parking and other penalties

• The Council will also issue a reminder to Company A that itis required to respond to complaints in accordance with its complaints procedure.

Case Ref: 23 011 975 Category: Transport and highways Sub Category: Parking and other penalties

• The Council will remind officers dealing with dropped kerb appeals of the need to ensure each case is considered on its merits and that exceptional circumstances should not be limited to just the two options given in the guidance.
• The Council will consider amending its guidance on dropped kerbs to make clear when deciding whether exceptional circumstances apply it needs to consider the representations made by the applicant.

Case Ref: 23 009 253 Category: Environment and regulation Sub Category: Antisocial behaviour

• The Council will remind officers that decision letters issued in respect of ASB case reviews must notify individuals of their right to an appeal.
• The Council will remind relevant officers of the importance of keeping proper, suitable records relating to ASB case reviews. The Council should direct officers to review the Ombudsman’s “Guidance on Good Administrative Practice” when doing so.

Case Ref: 23 005 243 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council has agreed to remind its officers of the need to provide tailored benefit advice to applicants in their personalised housing plans.

Case Ref: 23 004 665 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council will remind staff dealing with homelessness applications of the Council’s statutory duties to assess the suitability of housing in homelessness applications.

Case Ref: 23 018 689 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Other

• The Council will compile a database of Investigating Officers and Independent Persons it can ask to carry out stage two investigations under the children's statutory complaints procedure.

Case Ref: 23 007 900 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• draft a procedure note for staff on how direct offer process works

Case Ref: 23 000 152 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Safeguarding

• The Council has agreed it will reflect on the issues raised in this decision statement and identify any additional areas of service improvement, particularly around communication when several care options are being considered. The Council will prepare a short report setting out what it intends to do to ensure similar problems do not reoccur and send this to the Ombudsman.

Case Ref: 22 011 243 Category: Education Sub Category: School transport

• The Council will provide training to staff on the requirements of parental funded transport outlined in S and another v Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council[2012]. This should include guidance on assessing transport requests and the process for agreeing parental funded transport.
• The Council will remind staff of the Council's policy to review EHCP placements when a parent raises concerns that they can no longer provide transport to a school of parental preference.

Case Ref: 22 011 231 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council will give a written briefing to officers reminding them of the Council’s legal duty to keep the suitability of temporary accommodation under review when an applicant reports a change in their circumstances or submits new medical evidence. The suitability decision should be put in writing to the applicant and should notify them of their section 202 review rights.