Kent County Council (25 016 854)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Other 17-Mar-2026

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s duties under the Equality Act 2010 and how it applied statutory guidance to ensure Miss X’s child could attend a funded nursery place. This is because we are unlikely to find fault in the Council’s actions.

Essex County Council (25 017 265)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 17-Mar-2026

Summary: Mrs X complained that the Council delayed finalising her daughter’s Education, Health and Care plan. We have found the Council was at fault. It caused a delay of five months. This meant
Mrs X’s daughter missed out on some support she needed, and
Mrs X’s right to appeal was frustrated. The Council has agreed to take action to address their injustice.

Leeds City Council (25 024 637)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries School admissions 17-Mar-2026

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about the Council’s schools’ admissions appeal panel refusing her appeal. It is unlikely we would find fault which caused Mrs X to lose out on a school place.

Manchester City Council (25 015 241)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Alternative provision 17-Mar-2026

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council failing to arrange alternative provison for Y because there is insufficient evidence of fault and the injustice is not significant enough to warrant an investigation.

West Northamptonshire Council (25 015 273)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Special educational needs 17-Mar-2026

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the content of an Education, Health and Care Plan and the information the Council relied on when making the decision. This is a matter where the complainant had a right of appeal to a tribunal and it would be reasonable to use this right if they disagree with the content of the plan.

East Sussex County Council (25 015 604)

Statement Upheld School transport 17-Mar-2026

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about home to school transport issues. We have upheld Ms X’s complaint as the Council has now agreed to reply to her complaint which is a proportionate way to resolve the complaint.

Hertfordshire County Council (25 004 257)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 17-Mar-2026

Summary: There was fault by the Council. There was poor communication and delay when dealing with an education personal budget request. The Council also failed to ensure that a child received the provision in Section F of an Education, Health and Care Plan after the school had told officers that the child was not receiving all the provision. An apology and a symbolic payment remedies the injustice.

Hertfordshire County Council (25 004 260)

Statement Upheld Alternative provision 17-Mar-2026

Summary: There was fault by the Council. There was poor communication and delay when dealing with an education personal budget request. The Council also failed to ensure that a child received the provision in Section F of an Education, Health and Care Plan after the school had told officers that the child was not receiving all the provision. An apology and a symbolic payment remedies the injustice.

London Borough of Islington (25 004 878)

Statement Not upheld Special educational needs 17-Mar-2026

Summary: Mrs X complained the Council failed to support her son, Y, back into education. She also complained about the delay in completing the annual review process. Mrs X said Y missed a year of education and Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan provision. She also said the process distressed her and impacted the family financially. The Council was not at fault.

Somerset Council (25 005 390)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 17-Mar-2026

Summary: Ms F complained about the Council’s handling of the annual review process for her son’s (X) Education, Health, and Care plan and actions around her personal budget requests. The Council agreed it had failed to adhere to statutory timescales and communicated poorly. This was fault. It has since set out the provision X should have received and backdated his personal budget in a direct payment to Ms F. We found this addressed the injustice X experienced. The Council will also apologise and make payment to Ms F to acknowledge the unnecessary distress and uncertainty she experienced.