Overview:

Key to names used

• Mrs X The complainant
• C Her daughter

Summary

Mrs X complained the Council did not provide appropriate alternative education for her daughter when she was absent from school for six months.

Finding

Fault found causing injustice and recommendations made.

Recommendations

The Council must consider the report and confirm within three months the action it has taken or proposes to take. The Council should consider the report at its full Council, Cabinet or other appropriately delegated committee of elected members and we will require evidence of this. (Local Government Act 1974, section 31(2), as amended)

In addition to the requirement set out above, to remedy the injustice caused we recommend the Council carry out the following actions within three months of the date of this report.

• Apologise to Mrs X for the delay and failure to provide alternative provision for C.

• Pay Mrs X £300 for her time and trouble in pursuing her complaint to get the matter resolved.

• Pay Mrs X £1,200 (£200 a month) to recognise the missed education for C between November 2021 and April 2022. This is to be used for C’s educational benefit.

To improve services, we recommend within three months of the date of this report the Council should:

• review its policies and procedures to ensure it considers making a referral to the Alternative Tuition Service or arranges alternative provision for children of compulsory school age who, because of illness, exclusion from school or otherwise, may not for any period receive suitable education unless such arrangements are made for them;

• issue guidance and written reminders to appropriate staff members (to include those in the teams mentioned throughout this report) of the above, to ensure co-ordination across services so prompt action can be taken when children are absent from school; and

• carry out mandatory in-person training for all managers and staff members responsible for arranging alternative education provision. This training should in part focus on our findings against the Council in this topic from the past two years, the impact the Council’s fault has had on vulnerable children and the steps it is now taking to prevent recurrence of the same failings.

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