Case Ref: 23 013 921 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council has agreed to remind relevant staff that the Council should usually respond to letters andemails, even if only to explain why a detailed response cannot be provided.

Case Ref: 23 010 075 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council will review Ms F’s complaint against its existing processes and procedures to ensure delays or errors in completing the Education, Health, and Care plan process are identified and actioned swiftly, including when complaints are received. This is to ensure it provides parent or young people their right to appeal to the SEND Tribunal without unnecessary delay.

Case Ref: 23 009 518 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council will provide relevant staff with a copy of this decision to raise awareness of the importance of meeting statutory deadlines and preparing for annual reviews.

Case Ref: 23 012 074 Category: Education Sub Category: School transport

• The Council will arrange staff training for officers who make decisions about SEND transport eligibility and those who sit on transport appeal panels. The training should focus on how officers determine which school is deemed the nearest suitable for young people with EHC Plans. The training should be based on the statutory guidance.

Case Ref: 23 008 968 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council was at fault in the way it dealt with a request for a review of an Education, Health, and Care Plan. It was also at fault in how it considered a request for elective home education of a child. It has agreed it will share our decision statement with its caseworkers to improve their awareness of the Council's policy.

Case Ref: 23 008 648 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Other

• The Council will remind social care staff members to review care plans issued with a supervision order, in line with the arrangements specified in the care plan.
• The Council will remind social care staff of the importance of keeping clear, accurate and contemporaneous records of its decision making.
• The Council will remind officers responding to complaints of the importance of apologising where it identifies fault in its actions, and identifying any injustice caused to the complainant and any appropriate remedies. The Council will share our Guidance on Effective Complaint Handling with relevant staff members.

Case Ref: 23 007 234 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council should write and distribute a briefing note for all staff dealing with Education, Health and Care Plans (EHC Plans) to remind them of the Councils obligations to carry out Annual Reviews of plans and the correct process to follow to consult families and relevant professionals before issuing EHC Plans.

Case Ref: 23 005 344 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• Remind relevant staff of the importance of effective complaint handling.
• Remind relevant staff of the importance of accurately recording information.

Case Ref: 23 001 581 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• Remind relevant staff of the importance of providing accurate information when writing to people.

Case Ref: 23 000 691 Category: Benefits and tax Sub Category: Housing benefit and council tax benefit

• The Council will remind staff who consider Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) applications and reviews to provide appropriate and consistent explanations to support decisions to refuse DHP applications. It should also remind staff to consider using discretion at each stage of the application process.