Case Ref: 21 010 226 Category: Education Sub Category: COVID-19

• •Review its ‘medical provision policy’ and associated documents and ensure they are consistent with The Education Act 1996 and statutory guidance
• •Review its procedures for providing GCSE learning for children unable to attend school.
• •Review its policies and procedures to make sure it keeps sufficient oversight and control of the arrangements with Achieving for Children.
• •Provide Achieving for Children staff with training on the Council’s revised ‘medical provision policy’ and procedures for providing GCSE learning for children unable to attend school.

Case Ref: 21 006 652 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Assessment and care plan

• The Council and Integrated Care Board have agreed to provide an Action Plan with details of the review of their children's continuing care procedures, to ensure assessments are carried out in a joined up and holistic way in line with the 2016 National Framework for Continuing Care. This review should address how the organisations will ensure assessments represent a holistic and multi-agency consideration of a child’s needs alongside those of their family. The results of this review, and details of any remedial action taken, should be shared with the complainant and the Ombudsmen when completed

Case Ref: 21 001 734 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Child protection

• The Council has agreed to issue a briefing to relevant staff to learn lessons from this complaint that they are reminded of the need: to be clear with parents about the role of a Local Authority Delegated Officer (LADO) in any cases whichhave LADO involvement; to take care with language and not to misrepresent facts when socialwork staff find themselves having conversations or email communications with parentsthey may find challenging; to ensure that assessments clearly distinguish between facts andopinion; and where an opinion relies on facts that the facts are clearly setout in the body of the document.
• The Council will also provide the Ombudsman with further details on how it looks to ensure that recommendations it has agreed during the complaint process are carried out within a suitable timescale. In this case the Council had agreed to an earlier recommendation to amend or place a statement on its social work records but had failed to carry that out.

Case Ref: 20 011 993 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Child protection

• Remindrelevant staff of the importance of issuing EHC plans within the timescales setout in the SEN code of practice.

Case Ref: 20 005 950 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council will share the final decision with all staff involved in the EHC process and highlight the findings at a team meeting, or equivalent.

Case Ref: 20 001 990 Category: Education Sub Category: Alternative provision

• a) Review its processes to ensure annual review decisions and any draft EHCPs following that decision are issued within the timescales set down by the Code of practice
• b) Consider whether its procedures are robust enough to enable it to take prompt action when it has a duty, under Section 19 of the Education Act 1996.

Case Ref: 20 000 817 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council should review how it monitors whether Achieving for Children is meeting the statutory requirements related to EHCPs, including meeting timescales and securing provision.