Parkside School (21 007 884)

Statement Not upheld School admissions 10-Mar-2022

Summary: Mrs X complained about the Independent Appeal Panel’s decision to not admit her child to their preferred choice of school. There was no fault in the way the appeal was conducted.

Suffolk County Council (20 009 662)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 09-Mar-2022

Summary: Mr and Mrs X complained about matters relating to their son’s Education, Health and Care Plan. We found the Council failed to provide support required by the child’s plan and we also found fault with the Council’s record keeping. The Council has agreed to our recommendations to remedy the injustice caused.

Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council (21 012 323)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Special educational needs 09-Mar-2022

Summary: Miss X complains the Council have failed to ensure her son received his special education needs (SEN) provision. We have discontinued our investigation because the Ombudsman cannot investigate this complaint. This is because the matter is inextricably linked to the matters considered by the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Tribunal and is therefore outside our jurisdiction.

Suffolk County Council (21 002 326)

Statement Upheld Alternative provision 09-Mar-2022

Summary: Mr and Mrs X complain the Council failed to ensure appropriate education was provided to meet their son’s, Y’s, needs as set out in his Education, Health, and Care Plan. The Ombudsman finds the Council at fault for not properly considering its duties to provide alternative education. The Council will apologise to Mr and Mrs X and make a payment to reflect the injustice. The Council will also make improvements to its service.

Cheshire East Council (20 012 023)

Statement Upheld Covid-19 09-Mar-2022

Summary: We did not investigate Mrs X’s complaints about decisions the Council made about a child she fostered. This is because we did not find fault with the Council’s stage two and three statutory complaint investigations. However, we did find fault with delays in the Council’s complaint handling and in complying with the recommendations from those investigations. The Council has offered a suitable remedy for the delay. It will also complete the recommendations, apologise to Mrs X and remind officers of the timescales for carrying out investigations.

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council (21 005 330)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 08-Mar-2022

Summary: Mrs X complained the Council delayed completing her son’s (Y’s) Education Health and Care Plan (EHCP) and communicated with her poorly. Mrs X says this delayed the appeals process, caused distress and disrupted her son’s education. We find the Council at fault for failing to finalise Y’s EHCP on time and not communicating effectively with Mrs X. We recommend the Council apologises to Mrs X and her son, makes a payment for distress and uncertainty, and takes action to improve its processes going forward.

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council (21 003 516)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 08-Mar-2022

Summary: The Council was at fault when it delayed issuing an updated Education, Health and Care plan for Mrs X’s daughter, Y after an annual review in November 2020 and reassessment of needs it started in February 2021. This led to Y missing the support she needed and caused her mother, Mrs X, distress and frustration. The Council agreed to follow the recommendations set out to remedy the injustice its actions caused to Mrs X and Y.

Halton Borough Council (21 011 996)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Special educational needs 08-Mar-2022

Summary: We cannot investigate this complaint. This is because complaints about what happens in schools are outside our jurisdiction. If the complainant wants to challenge the contents of her son’s Education Health and Care Plan, it is reasonable for her to appeal to the SEND tribunal. We will not consider complaint handling on its own.

Hertfordshire County Council (20 013 877)

Statement Not upheld Special educational needs 08-Mar-2022

Summary: Mrs B complained that the Council failed to make suitable alternative provision for her son when he was unable to attend school because of anxiety. She also says the Council failed to secure the provision in his education, health and care plan and refused her requests for a personal budget. We found no fault on the Council’s part.

Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council (21 005 971)

Statement Upheld Covid-19 07-Mar-2022

Summary: Mrs X is a foster carer. She complains about the way the Council dealt with safety concerns she raised about the home of the family adopting a child in her care. We find there was some fault by the Council in the way it responded. It has agreed to apologise to Mrs X.