Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council (23 013 127)

Report Upheld School transport 16-Sep-2024

Summary: Mr X complained about the Council’s refusal to provide school transport for his son (B) when the school named in his Education, Health and Care Plan (EHC Plan) is the only school offered by the Council and is more than three miles from his home. Mr X also complained about the failure to properly consider his school transport appeal.

Surrey County Council (23 020 484)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 20-Aug-2024

Summary: There was a delay in issuing Mr Y’s Education, Health and Care Plan. This caused avoidable frustration, confusion and a delay in appeal rights for which the Council has already offered an appropriate payment. The Council will apologise and make an additional payment of £7200 to reflect the loss of special educational provision Mr Y was entitled to.

St Helens Metropolitan Borough Council (23 017 854)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 20-Aug-2024

Summary: Mrs X complained the Council failed to arrange suitable full-time education for her child, W, after they stopped attending school, and that it took too long to find another school for W. The Council was at fault for failing to secure the special educational provision in W’s Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan for over a year. It was also at fault for delay issuing an amended version of W’s EHC Plan and for delay seeking a new school place for W. This meant W missed out on education they were entitled to, and Mrs X experienced undue frustration, upset and stress. To remedy their injustice, the Council will apologise to Mrs X, pay her £7,825 and take action to prevent similar fault in the future.

Bristol City Council (23 017 134)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 20-Aug-2024

Summary: The Council failed to make the provision set out in a child’s Education Health and Care Plan when his school placement broke down, including speech and language therapy. The Council made some alternative provision in this time, but it did not consider fully whether this was suitable or a full-time provision. The Council has agreed to take action to remedy the injustice to the child and his family.

Essex County Council (24 004 725)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 20-Aug-2024

Summary: We upheld Mrs X’s complaint about delays in the Education, Health and Care assessment process regarding her child, Y. The Council agreed to resolve the complaint early by providing a proportionate remedy for the injustice caused.

St. Teresas RC Primary School (24 006 966)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries School admissions 20-Aug-2024

Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about an unsuccessful school admission appeal. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault for us to be able to question the panel’s decision.

St. Teresas RC Primary School (24 006 973)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries School admissions 20-Aug-2024

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about an unsuccessful school admission appeal. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault for us to be able to question the panel’s decision.

London Borough of Ealing (23 018 697)

Statement Not upheld Alternative provision 19-Aug-2024

Summary: We have discontinued our investigation of this complaint, about the Council’s involvement with a child who was not attending school full-time. This is because we could not add to the Council’s response or provide anything meaningful through further investigation.

London Borough of Islington (23 019 982)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 19-Aug-2024

Summary: Mrs F complained about the Council’s handling of the Education, Health, and Care plan process for her son following an annual review. The Council accepted it was at fault for causing delays in the process and how it communicated with her, and proposed a remedy to Mrs F. We found the Council was at fault, but its remedy was not enough. The Council will apologise and make payment in line with our recommendations to Mrs F to acknowledge the injustice its faults caused her.

Worcestershire County Council (23 020 038)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 19-Aug-2024

Summary: The Council was at fault because it did not arrange alternative educational provision for a child who was not attending school. It has already offered an adequate remedy for this, with the exception that it should also have offered to reimburse the complainant for a report she obtained privately. The Council has now agreed to do this. We have not investigated a complaint about the Council’s decision not to issue an education, health and care plan, because it carried a right of appeal to tribunal.