London Borough of Bexley (19 003 689)

Report Upheld School transport 02-Oct-2019

Summary: The Council failed to comply with an Ombudsman recommendation to carry out a new assessment of eligibility in three complaints about home to school transport for children with special educational needs (SEN) and mobility difficulties. We are issuing this report because the Council did not comply with our recommendations. We are concerned that, despite the service improvements the  Council says it has made, it repeated the same fault.

London Borough of Bexley (19 004 764)

Report Upheld School transport 02-Oct-2019

Summary: The Council failed to comply with an Ombudsman recommendation to carry out a new assessment of eligibility in three complaints about home to school transport for children with special educational needs (SEN) and mobility difficulties. We are issuing this report because the Council did not comply with our recommendations. We are concerned that, despite the service improvements the  Council says it has made, it repeated the same fault.

London Borough of Bexley (19 004 765)

Report Upheld School transport 02-Oct-2019

Summary: The Council failed to comply with an Ombudsman recommendation to carry out a new assessment of eligibility in three complaints about home to school transport for children with special educational needs (SEN) and mobility difficulties. We are issuing this report because the Council did not comply with our recommendations. We are concerned that, despite the service improvements the  Council says it has made, it repeated the same fault.

Coventry City Council (18 007 722)

Statement Upheld School transport 01-Oct-2019

Summary: Mr and Mrs B complain on behalf of their adult son, Mr C, that the Council wrongly refused their application for post-19 transport assistance. Mr and Mrs B also complain the Council failed to issue Mr C’s final EHCP. The Ombudsman finds fault with the Council and has recommended actions to remedy the injustice caused.

Central Bedfordshire Council (19 007 092)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries School transport 28-Sep-2019

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Mrs A’s complaint that the Council has refused to backdate her son’s entitlement for free school transport. This is because it is unlikely we would find fault on the Council’s part.

Essex County Council (18 016 909)

Statement Upheld School transport 20-Sep-2019

Summary: Mrs X complains that the school transport arrangements made by the Council are not suitable as the journey to and from school is in excess of 75 minutes each way. The Council is at fault as it did not adequately investigate her complaints that her daughter’s school bus journey is in excess of 75 minutes each way. The Council has agreed to remedy Mrs X’s injustice by making an apology to her and by monitoring her daughter’s bus journey for a period of month and take appropriate action to reconsider the transport arrangements if the journey is in excess of 75 minutes.

Norfolk County Council (19 002 004)

Statement Not upheld School transport 20-Sep-2019

Summary: there is no fault in the involvement of the LADO following an allegation Mr T acted in a way which put children at risk of harm.

Northamptonshire County Council (19 003 068)

Statement Not upheld School transport 20-Sep-2019

Summary: Miss K complains the Council failed to offer her son, L, free transport to the school he attended. There is no evidence of Council fault.

Staffordshire County Council (18 019 028)

Statement Upheld School transport 13-Sep-2019

Summary: Miss X complained about the Council’s decision to refuse travel assistance for her son. The Ombudsman finds there was some fault in the way the Council considered her appeal. This caused Miss X uncertainty as to what the outcome may have been. I have recommended that the Council apologises to Miss X and reconsiders her appeal.

North Yorkshire County Council (18 018 964)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries School transport 12-Sep-2019

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s decision not to provide his daughter with free or assisted transport to school. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault in how the Council has reached its decision and so we cannot question its merits.