Case Ref: 21 010 675 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• Share this decision with staff involved with SEN and drafting EHCPs reminding them of the need to begin commissioning services as soon as possible.

Case Ref: 21 008 165 Category: Environment and regulation Sub Category: Noise

• The Council will provide a copy of my decision to planning and environmental health officers to note the areas where failings occurred in this case.

Case Ref: 21 007 154 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council will review with staff: the importance of good record keeping to ensure staff properly record any advice it has provided to people such as how to secure accommodation. that decision letters in relation to homelessness applications are sent to applicants within a reasonable timeframe.

Case Ref: 21 006 747 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Charging

• The Council agreed to review the approach it, and the external company it uses, takes to Care Act financial assessments. It will ensure it applies the correct rules and gives people information about care charging at the earliest opportunity, even if it is funding care one a 'non-prejudicial basis'.
• The Council agreed to review its process for recording to whom care charging invoices and letters should be sent, to ensure it sends these to the correct person, taking into account their wishes.
• The Council agreed to review its systems for adult social care mail (including invoices and reminders) on hold. It will ensure that where it agrees to suspend sending mail, it puts appropriate holds in place.

Case Ref: 21 006 385 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• •Remind its officers of their responsibility to inform complainants of their appeal rights on decisions about suitability of accommodation.

Case Ref: 21 005 410 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• •Remind SEND staff to consider seeking advice from the multi-agency statutory assessment panel if professional advice or information for an EHC needs assessment has not been received within six weeks.
• •Review its arrangements with neighbouring NHS bodies in relation to seeking information and advice for an EHC needs assessment, to ensure what is being requested and the timescales are clear.

Case Ref: 21 001 878 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Disabled children

• Within three months of the final decision theCouncil has agreed to make a payment of £200 to Mrs Todd to recognise the injusticecaused by its failure to respond to her complaint.

Case Ref: 21 000 422 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Charging

• The Council has agreed to: • by training or other means remind staff of the importance of properly carrying out financial assessments and/or reassessments for care service users.
• • review the communication system between the Council and its Direct Payment team. Ensure there are clear mechanisms in place to avoid applying charges to care users’ Direct Payment funds for services it has not provided to them.

Case Ref: 20 009 324 Category: Education Sub Category: COVID-19

• The Council agreed to: •review its payment policy to ensure looked after children who are ‘eligible’ children receive the free home to school transport they are entitled to, and foster and connected carers are not expected to use part of their fostering allowance to cover the cost of this; and
• •identify and reimburse foster and connected carers who made successful applications for transport expenses since October 2017 and who had the weekly transport allowance deducted before their claim was paid.

Case Ref: 20 005 587 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• In order to ensure that the Council is doing all that it can to meet the statutory timescales in future it will provide us with evidence to confirm: • it has addressed staffing issues it says was a factor in the delays in this case; and • what processes it has in place to try to ensure that professional advice for EHC Plan assessments are provided on time. For example, issuing professionals with timely reminders to provide their advice etc.