Essex County Council (24 013 863)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries School transport 03-Dec-2024

Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about the Council’s refusal to provide free school transport for her child. There is not enough evidence of fault by the Council to justify investigating.

Essex County Council (24 011 328)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries School transport 03-Dec-2024

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about the Council’s decision to refuse his request for free home to school transport. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault by the Council for us to be able to question its decision.

Manchester City Council (24 010 478)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries School transport 03-Dec-2024

Summary: We will not investigate Miss X’s complaint about the Council’s decision not to provide her child with free transport to school. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault by the Council.

Westmorland and Furness Council (24 010 517)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 03-Dec-2024

Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about the conduct of a Council social worker because it is late.

Oxfordshire County Council (23 016 722)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 03-Dec-2024

Summary: Mr X complained the Council failed to meet the statutory timescales in reviewing and producing his child’s Education, Health and Care Plan. Mr X also complained about the way in which the Council handled his complaint. We found fault with the Council’s delays in handling both the Education, Health and Care Plan review and Mr X’s complaint. The Council offered £200 for it’s poor complaint handling and £300 for the delays in reviewing the Education, Health and Care Plan. This was a suitable symbolic gesture with an apology for the injustice caused by the Council’s fault.

Somerset Council (23 018 970)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 03-Dec-2024

Summary: We found the Council was at fault when it failed to secure the provision set out in an Education, Health and Care Plan it issued following a Tribunal hearing. This led to S missing the support she needed and caused her mother, Mrs X, distress, and frustration. The Council agreed to our recommendations set out to remedy the injustice its actions caused to Mrs X and S.

Cambridgeshire County Council (24 003 043)

Statement Upheld Alternative provision 03-Dec-2024

Summary: There was fault by the Council. The Council delayed issuing an Education, Health and Care Plan and did not provide alternative educational provision for a child for the final year of primary school. Apologising and making a symbolic payment remedies the injustice. The child is now attending a specialist secondary school.

Lancashire County Council (24 004 112)

Statement Not upheld School admissions 03-Dec-2024

Summary: Ms X complained about the decision of the Council’s Independent Appeal Panel to refuse her child a place at a grammar school. There was no fault in the way the Panel considered the appeal. The Ombudsman cannot question decisions made without fault.

Worcestershire County Council (24 004 520)

Statement Not upheld Special educational needs 03-Dec-2024

Summary: Mrs X complained the Council refused to provide Direct Payments to pay for wrap around care for her son who could not attend after school provision in the community due to his complex needs. As a result Mrs X has had to privately employ a personal assistant to care for her son. We have ended our investigation as we would not add anything significant to the investigation which has already been carried out under the statutory procedure for complaints about children’s services.

Staffordshire County Council (24 006 099)

Statement Not upheld Special educational needs 03-Dec-2024

Summary: We have discontinued our investigation of this complaint, about the way the Council considered the educational placement for a child with an education, health and care plan. This is because the matter was subject to an ongoing appeal at the time, and therefore falls outside of our jurisdiction.