Case Ref: 21 007 839 Category: Education Sub Category: Alternative provision

• The Council has agreed to remind relevant staff of theCouncil’s duty to finalise Education, Health and Care Plans within the statutory time frames following annual reviews.
• The Council has agreed to remind relevant staff of the importance of disagreements over Education, Health and Care Plans being resolved through the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) Tribunal where agreement has not been reached within the statutory timescales. It will also remind relevant staff of the importance of ensuring that parents and young people are aware of their appeal rights to enable them to do so.

Case Ref: 21 007 442 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• the Council has also agreed to make the following service improvements: circulate a reminder to relevant staff of the statutory timescales for deciding whether to carry out a re-assessment and issuing final EHC plans following a re-assessment of needs. The Council should also highlight the importance of meeting the timescales to ensure the right to appeal the final plan is not delayed, and
• share this decision with relevant staff members.

Case Ref: 20 006 413 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Safeguarding

• Remind staff about the importance of reviewing capacity assessments when major decisions are made;
• Remind staff and review procedures about when and how people are told about the outcome of financial assessments when decision making is ongoing or pending further information;
• Remind staff about keeping complainants updated about their complaint.

Case Ref: 21 003 354 Category: Education Sub Category: COVID-19

• The Council agreed to review other cases of parents who asked for specific alternative special educational or increases in direct payments for special education between May and July 2020. It should review whether it correctly made 'reasonable endeavours' to arrange special education in those cases and whether it correctly applied the Government guidance at the time.

Case Ref: 21 000 357 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Transition from childrens services

• The Council agreed to provide us with evidence of webinars and training it carried out with staff as a lessons learnt exercise following the accepted delay in properly planning and preparing for a young person's transition from children to adult care services.

Case Ref: 20 011 880 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Charging

• The Council will also share the final decision with staff dealing with care contributions to encourage them to follow up discussions with clear written information about costs.

Case Ref: 20 005 510 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Assessment and care plan

• Review its practices as regards to the reliance on a three-day notice period for the cancellation of care in the absence of any expressed agreement for the provision of that care. Waive the full balance for the care provided.
• Ensure people are given an indication of what their care may cost as soon as possible, and ideally before they begin receiving it.

Case Ref: 20 005 157 Category: Education Sub Category: Special educational needs

• The Council will provide us with evidence it has reviewed its contract procedures for children placed in independent schools to ensure all placements have a signed contract in place.
• The Council will review its education, health and care plan procedures to ensure plans amended after review meetings are amended without delay and in line with statutory requirements.

Case Ref: 20 002 357 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Charging

• The Council has agreed to share the lessons learned about the delays in making a decision as to whether Mrs M could be cared for at home, and calculating what her personal budget would be, with its adult social care team.
• The Council has agreed to share the lessons learned, about the way it calculated Mrs M's financial contribution to her temporary residential care, with its finance team.

Case Ref: 20 002 410 Category: Adult care services Sub Category: Assessment and care plan

• The Council will provide evidence of the improved monitoring process the Council has introduced to ensure carers assessments are not missed and that actions are followed up on.
• The Council will provide evidence of the new escalation process to ensure no unnecessary delays.
• The Council will provide evidence of the training arranged for team managers.
• The Council will provide evidence of the advice given to direct payment assessors about what direct payments can be used for and how that information should be communicated to service users.
• The Council will provide details of the advice given to the complaints team about effective complaint handling.