Lincolnshire County Council (19 017 969)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Special educational needs 07-Mar-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman cannot investigate Ms B’s complaint that the Council has failed to explain why it ignored professional advice when completing her son’s Education Health and Care Plan. This is because she has used her right to appeal against the content of the Plan.

Derbyshire County Council (18 017 742)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 06-Mar-2020

Summary: There were delays in the way the Council dealt with requests in relation to the special educational needs of Mrs X’s children and in the complaint process. This caused unnecessary inconvenience, time and trouble to Mrs X. Recommendations for an apology and a payment to acknowledge the impact of the fault are made.

Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council (19 017 428)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Special educational needs 06-Mar-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman cannot investigate Mrs X’s complaint that the Council ended her son’s Education, Health and Care Plan. This is because Mrs X has appealed to the Special Educational Needs and Disability Tribunal. Mrs X also complains the Council responded to her Subject Access Request poorly. The Ombudsman will not consider this complaint further as it is unlikely investigation would achieve anything more for Mrs X.

Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council (19 007 038)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 05-Mar-2020

Summary: Mrs B complained that the Council failed to ensure therapies detailed in her daughter, C’s Education, Health and Care plan were provided. We find the Council delayed by three months in providing speech and language therapy and failed to provide any sensory integration therapy. The Council has agreed to provide sessions to make up for the missing therapies and pay Mrs B £500.

Suffolk County Council (19 005 771)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 04-Mar-2020

Summary: the Council is at fault in failing to ensure that full speech and language support detailed in Y’s Education, Health and Care Plan was not provided between January and June 2019. This caused Y injustice that the Council will recognise by apologising and making a payment of £600. The Council also failed to amend Y’s this Plan following an annual review in May. This amounts to fault but this did not cause injustice.

Gloucestershire County Council (19 011 962)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Special educational needs 04-Mar-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate this complaint about the involvement of the Council with the complainants’ children. This is because the substantive complaint is made late and there are no good reasons to exercise the Ombudsman’s discretion to investigate it now. Other issues are previously decided or are out of jurisdiction.

Cheshire East Council (19 015 811)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Special educational needs 04-Mar-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman cannot investigate this complaint about the production and content of an Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP). This is because it cannot investigate complaints about schools or matters that are under appeal to a tribunal. The Ombudsman will not investigate other parts of the complaint as there is insufficient evidence of injustice or of fault by the Council.

Cheshire West & Chester Council (19 017 105)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Special educational needs 04-Mar-2020

Summary: The Ombudsman will not investigate Miss Q’s complaint about the Council’s alleged delay in naming School B in her son’s Education, Health and Care Plan. Nor will we investigate the Council’s alleged failure to ensure Miss Q’s son received an education between January and September 2019. This is because Miss Q appealed to SEND, so much of the complaint is outside our jurisdiction.

Surrey County Council (19 003 931)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 02-Mar-2020

Summary: Mrs X complains about the EHCP process and the time taken to secure a school place for her daughter, Y. There was no delay in completing the EHC plan process, but the Council’s failure to provide suitable alternative education between February and July 2019 amounts to fault. This fault has caused Mrs x and Y an injustice.

Gloucestershire County Council (19 009 500)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 02-Mar-2020

Summary: Mrs X complains about the Council’s actions following her daughter’s EHC plan annual review meeting. She says the Council delayed in amending the plan and in issuing the final EHC plan. She also says the Council did not provide any special education provisions between July 2019 and October 2019. The Ombudsman finds some fault with the Council’s actions. We have recommended the Council make a financial payment.