Case Ref: 21 015 643 Category: Benefits and tax Sub Category: Council tax

• By training or other means, reminds officers of the provisions of the Government guidance on collection of Council Tax arrears to ensure they are willing to negotiate payments at any time in the process and work with bill payers to agree an affordable and sustainable payment plan to be paid within a reasonable timeframe.

Case Ref: 21 015 640 Category: Benefits and tax Sub Category: Other

• Review why officers did not communicate Mr X’s contact and revised liability with enforcement agents and why officers did not make clear to Mr X that he would need to pay a £75 fee to bailiffs separately to clearing the revised council tax liability. The Council should carry out any appropriate training or policy updates that are required to ensure appropriate communication with the public and enforcement agents in such circumstances in future.

Case Ref: 21 015 440 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Residential care

• The Council will ensure the Care Home reviews its Visitor Policy to include how it will review any procedures in place, which restricts visitors contact with service users in the Care Home. This includes how often reviews will take place and how it notified the persons affected of its decisions.
• The Council will ensure the Care Home reminds its staff of the requirement to review procedures for restricting visitor’s contact with service users of the Care Home as set out in its Visitor’s Policy.

Case Ref: 21 014 243 Category: Benefits and tax Sub Category: Council tax

• The Council will review its customer telephone service to identify whether the service is appropriately staffed. If the review identifies the service is not appropriately staffed, and it is preventing residents from being able to contact the Council through the telephone, the Council will decide on an action plan to improve the service to ensure residents can contact the Council through the phone. The Council will outline the actions to take and the timescales for implementation. The Council will provide the Ombudsman with a copy of its review and action plan (if relevant).

Case Ref: 21 013 484 Category: Environment and regulation Sub Category: Other

• The Council will send a copy of the Ombudsman’s final decision in this case to officers dealing with abandoned vehicles so they are aware of the process required when a vehicle is removed from the highway.

Case Ref: 21 009 192 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Charging

• The Council will remind care providers that it contracts, that they should ensure they note the times attended and the care provided. The Council could consider advising care providers to use electronic call logging to evidence the times attended.

Case Ref: 21 008 868 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council will review its policy and processes in relation to the provision of bed and breakfast accommodation to families and pregnant applicants to ensure its approach is in line with the law, and provide guidance to relevant staff.
• The Council will compolete the devlopment of its Temporary and Emergency Accommodation Strategy and report to us on progress made in increasing the supply of temporary accommodation, particularly for families who would otherwise be in bed and breakfast accommodation.
• The Council will rveiew its complaints process to ensure that a manger is responsible for ensuring a complaint reponse is sent where input is needed from more than one team, and that reqests for legal or other advice are followed up to ensure that complaint responses are issued within the timescales set out in its complaints policy.

Case Ref: 20 005 011 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• • Review its personal budget policy and provide the Ombudsman with evidence of how it will avoid the delays and issues identified in this case.
• • Review its monitoring arrangements for EHCP provision that is provided by schools. It should be able to demonstrate how it has used the learning from this case to improve its practice in this area to ensure accurate record keeping and audit trails.

Case Ref: 21 007 575 Category: Transport and highways Sub Category: Parking and other penalties

• The Council will ensure the Enforcement Agents have appropriate methods to verify names and addresses identified during their enquiries and remind it to use those methods in all cases.

Case Ref: 21 007 267 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Other

• The Council has agreed to provide the complaints team with a copy of the decision and remind them of the need to complete the children's statutory complaints process once started.