Northamptonshire County Council (20 006 578)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Covid-19 26-Sep-2021

Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about the Council’s insistence she wear a face covering to a contact session. There is insufficient injustice to Miss X.

Derbyshire County Council (20 008 692)

Statement Upheld Covid-19 23-Sep-2021

Summary: Ms X complained that the Council failed to ensure her son, K, received support from suitably experienced and trained staff as set out in his Education Health and Care Plan. We find there was service failure in the delay in providing training from September 2020, but no other fault. The impact of the delay was limited because of other support K received. The Council has agreed a remedy.

Derbyshire County Council (21 001 292)

Statement Upheld Covid-19 22-Sep-2021

Summary: Mrs X complained about how an admission appeal panel dealt with her appeal for a school place for her son. We have decided not to investigate the complaint further. This is because the Council has already agreed to offer Mrs X a fresh hearing and further investigation is unlikely to achieve any more for her.

London Borough of Redbridge (21 002 037)

Statement Upheld Covid-19 10-Sep-2021

Summary: Ms B complained that the Council failed to ensure her child received occupational therapy sessions specified in his Education, Health and Care plan. We found fault by the Council in this matter, causing injustice for which a remedy has been agreed.

Milton Keynes Council (20 010 102)

Statement Upheld Covid-19 09-Sep-2021

Summary: Mr X complains about a school admission panel’s decision to hold his appeal for a place for his son at his preferred school by written submissions. There is no evidence of fault in the appeal panel’s decision to consider Mr X’s appeal by written submissions. There is fault in how the appeal panel considered Mr X’s appeal so he cannot be certain it was properly considered. The Council has agreed to remedy this injustice by offering a fresh appeal to Mr X.

Kent County Council (20 012 324)

Statement Upheld Covid-19 06-Sep-2021

Summary: We did not find fault with the Council’s decision not to refund the cost of a travel pass Mrs X bought for her daughter. However, there was fault in the Council’s failure to communicate its decision not to recover the outstanding debt on the account. That Council agreed to apologise to Mrs X and tell other customers of its decision not to recover outstanding debts on travel passes for the 2020-2021 academic year.

Wakefield City Council (20 010 974)

Statement Upheld Covid-19 31-Aug-2021

Summary: Mr X complained that the Council did not do enough to provide suitable education for his son, D, or get him back on the school roll after he withdrew D from school to home educate him. Mr X told the Council he did not want to home educate and had only withdrawn D because he did not think the school could keep him safe from the risk of COVID-19. We find that while the Council made considerable efforts to try and ensure D had a school place, it should have brought matters to a head sooner. The Council was at fault in failing to offer alternative education while it was trying to resolve the matter. The Council has agreed a suitable remedy.

London Borough of Brent (20 009 601)

Statement Upheld Covid-19 20-Aug-2021

Summary: Ms D complains the Council failed to ensure she received speech and language therapy as set out in her Education, Health and Care Plan during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ms D says this has had a detrimental effect on her education, delaying her entering exams. We have found fault causing injustice. The Council has agreed to make a payment to Ms D and her mother.

Birmingham City Council (20 005 883)

Statement Upheld Covid-19 05-Aug-2021

Summary: Ms X complained about the way the Council dealt with her son’s Education Health and Care Plan and his special educational needs support following a Tribunal decision. The Council failed to take reasonable steps to put the support in place during the COVID-19 lockdown, and delayed in reviewing his Plan. This meant Y lost the opportunity to receive support he needed and there was a failure to plan for his future, causing him anxiety and uncertainty. The Council has agreed a remedy, including payments and a review of procedures.

Essex County Council (20 007 395)

Statement Upheld Covid-19 05-Aug-2021

Summary: Mrs X complained about the Council’s handling of the review of her son’s Education Health and Care (EHC) Plan and lack of therapy provision during the COVID-19 lockdown. We find that the Council delayed issuing the EHC Plan but this did not disadvantage Mrs X’s son. The Council took reasonable steps to deliver therapy provision when services were suspended because of the pandemic.