Case Ref: 23 009 431 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council has agreed to provide training/reminders to relevant staff of:•the importance of making suitably prompt enquiries and meeting statutory deadlines; and•the need to properly document decisions regarding the suitability of accommodation and to keep the suitability of accommodation under review.

Case Ref: 23 005 162 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Other

• The Council agreed that it would brief those staff who consider complaints made under the statutory complaint procedure for Children's Services, to pay close attention to Government guidance supporting that procedure in two areas. First, when considering a complaint made by a child or young person about events more that 12 months previously. The Council must consider the individual circumstances that have led the complainant to make a late complaint, such as their age, potential vulnerability, ability to make a complaint at the time of the events and so on. Second, to be aware of guidance on 'financial redress', which should be considered where appropriate.

Case Ref: 23 004 285 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Looked after children

• The Council has agreed to carry out a comprehensive review of the operation of the statutory complaints procedure to ensure:1.people are not denied the opportunity to use the procedure where legal action has been threatened but not pursued. I would suggest it considers introducing a timeframe after which it will accept a complaint if court proceedings have not started; 2.the consideration of whether to accept late complaints is done in accordance with the statutory guidance; and3.complaints staff are aware that when the Council agrees to our recommendations, we expect the Council to implement them within the specified timescale or come back to us explaining why it is not now possible.

Case Ref: 23 002 932 Category: Environment and regulation Sub Category: Refuse and recycling

• The Council will instruct Serco to stop the practice of putting other people's waste into one bin so it overflows, especially in relation to this complaint, but in other cases as well.

Case Ref: 23 001 217 Category: Benefits and tax Sub Category: Council tax

• Conduct its own review into the cause of the delay and evidence how it will avoid such issues reoccurring in future.

Case Ref: 22 016 295 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• Reviews its procedures to ensure officers consider the suitability of interim, temporary or permanent accommodation at the point of offer and record this decision. This is to avoid the need for the Council to carry out a suitability assessment in response to an applicant’s request for a suitability review when the request is lodged within 21 days. This is also to ensure the Council does not insert an additional stage into the review process.
• By training or other means, ensures officers recognise a request for a review of homelessness decisions, including requests for a review of the suitability of temporary and permanent accommodation, and direct them to the appropriate officers to carry out the review
• Draw up or provide its action plan, with clear timescales, for reducing the delay in carrying out suitability assessments.
• Amend its template letters to ensure the Council includes details of how applicants can seek a review of the Council’s decision on their housing priority band

Case Ref: 22 014 738 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• The Council has agreed to produce a policy or procedure explaining how the priority transfer list works, including the criteria for being placed on the list, the criteria for priority within the list and how temporary accommodation is allocated within the list.
• The Council will carry out a review of its procurement of temporary accommodation and identify ways of increasing the supply of different types of temporary accommodation suitable for families. This could form part of the independent external review referred to in the decision.

Case Ref: 22 013 128 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council will review any similar problems being reported about properties it uses for temporary accommodation that are managed by the same agent.
• The Council will issue a reminder to relevant staff to ensure they are aware that the Council is ultimately responsible for the actions of landlords/agents of temporary accommodation.

Case Ref: 22 013 092 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Looked after children

• The Council agreed to remind relevant staff of:the importance of clear communication with children and families during moves between foster care placements;the need to record important information about communications with young people in vulnerable circumstances; andthe circumstances in which an early referral to the Ombudsman is appropriate under the statutory children's complaints procedure and that, unless these are met, complainants are entitled to go through all stages of the process.