Case Ref: 23 012 966 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council has agreed to identify and implement a way of ensuring the actions agreed in an Ombudsman investigation are progressed promptly following a final decision.
• The Council has agreed to ensure the Council tells the Ombudsman in response to draft decisions if it will not be able to complete any recommended actions within the suggested timeframe.

Case Ref: 23 010 172 Category: Transport and highways Sub Category: Traffic management

• Remind staff:•the Council’s website states parking in front of a dropped kerb for a footway is not allowed at any time•the London Councils Code of Practice on Civil Parking Enforcement says vehicles identified as persistent evaders that are not parked in a parking place, may be removed immediately after the issue of a Penalty Charge Notice•the Council’s complaints policy states officers should offer assistance to anyone who might have difficulties in writing their complaint, and that complaints can be submitted by webform, email, telephone or by letter•of the importance of keeping proper and appropriate records, including details of contacts from other professional bodies
• Share this decision with Members and remind Members and Council staff of the Council’s duty to consider reasonable adjustments when people with disabilities request adjustments to enable them to access services.
• Remind Members of the need to include the resident’s consent in the initial contact when making a Member’s Enquiry.
• Review the Member’s Enquiry policy with regard to the Equality Act 2010 and Public Sector Equality Duty, to include details of how service users can request reasonable adjustments, and how the Council will consider these requests.

Case Ref: 23 008 184 Category: Housing Sub Category: Allocations

• The Council has agreed to review its procedures to ensure:it is able to respond to changes in circumstance which may affect an applicant’s housing priority within eight weeks; andit provides written notification if it is suspending a person from the housing register giving clear reasons why and a right of review.

Case Ref: 23 007 281 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council will review and amend any internal policy documents, which say people should not be allowed to view any temporary accommodation (as opposed to interim accommodation) properties in advance of accepting them.
• The Council will review and amend any internal policy documents it has about the checks that should take place to ensure properties are in a reasonable condition before being offered to tenants.
• The Council will also carry out a review, to establish what went wrong in this case inrespect of the complaint handling. It should provide the Ombudsman with a report setting out what action it will take to ensure complaints are dealt with properly.

Case Ref: 23 006 138 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council has agreed to remedy complaints from others affected by the delay making a main housing duty decision in line with our published guidance on remedies and the approach n this decision.
• The Council has agreed to remind relevant staff that the suitability of accommodation provided to homeless applicants must be kept under review and records kept showing decision making.
• The Council has agreed to remind relevant staff that the suitability of interim and temporary accommodation includes more than medical suitability and should consider all the relevant needs and circumstances of the applicant
• The Council has agreed to provide a report to the Ombudsman showing the Council’s progress to address the backlog of cases waiting for a main housing duty decision, including the extent of the backlog. The Council will also share this decision and a copy of the report with the relevant cabinet member or scrutiny committee.

Case Ref: 23 001 858 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Transport

• Provide guidance to staff regarding dealing with complaints about Blue Badge application processes properly through the corporate complaints process.
• Share a copy of this decision with staff in the relevant departments to consider the lessons that can be learned from this case.
• Provide an action plan showing how the Council will corporately record, assess, make decisions and deliver reasonable adjustments requested by its service users.
• Refer this decision, the action plan and the lessons learned outcomes to the relevant Cabinet Member and the Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Case Ref: 22 014 239 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Assessment and care plan

• The Council has agreed to review its case management of adult social care cases to ensure that cases where no action or communication has taken place for more than three months, are picked up and dealt with appropriately.

Case Ref: 23 005 790 Category: Children's care services Sub Category: Child protection

• The Council will remind child protection conference chairs of the pan-London guidance regarding quorate Child Protection Conferences.
• The Council will remind child protection conference chairs that, where a Child Protection Conference is not quorate, but the chair decides to proceed in any event, they should record their reasons.

Case Ref: 23 003 555 Category: Transport and highways Sub Category: Parking and other penalties

• The Council will make changes to its website to clarify the discretionary criteria for a personalised parking bay.

Case Ref: 23 002 970 Category: Housing Sub Category: Homelessness

• The Council will remind relevant officers of the importance of making proper enquiries before reaching a decision on whether an applicant is in priority need of housing.
• The Council will review its processes to ensure it provides appropriate support to homeless applicants and those applying to its housing register, who do not speak or read and write in English, to complete forms and otherwise access those services. This should include providing interpretation services where appropriate.