Leicester City Council (18 010 117)

Report Upheld Other 04-Jun-2019

Summary: Miss X complains the Council did not have good reason to ask her to prove the education she was providing for her son, Y was suitable. Although it would in due course have sought to visit anyway, it made its first request based on information that was wrong, and continued to ask for proof even when the actual allegation gave no reason to pursue the matter. This went on for more than six months. The Council threatened to issue a school attendance order against Miss X and maintained its position despite our warnings that its action had no basis. Miss X could have prevented the Council continuing its course by giving it the evidence she showed us. But the Council’s actions in asking for proof would still have caused her frustration in having to justify her actions when the basis for its request was the allegation that gave no reason for concern. Its actions have also left Miss X with an understandable loss of trust in the Council.