Surrey County Council (23 007 307)

Statement Upheld Alternative provision 12-Mar-2024

Summary: Mrs X complains the Council failed to provide her daughter Y with suitable alternative education from November 2021 until July 2022. We find fault with the Council for delay in issuing the Education, Health and Care Plan and for failing to arrange alternative provision for Y, causing Mrs X frustration and distress. We have agreed a financial remedy for the injustice.

Surrey County Council (23 003 624)

Statement Not upheld Alternative provision 08-Mar-2024

Summary: Mrs M complains the Council failed to make alternative arrangements for her daughter G’s education when she became unable to attend school in September 2021. Mrs M’s appeal to the SEND Tribunal limits the scope of my investigation. For the short period of Mrs M’s complaint I have been able to investigate, there was no fault by the Council.

Worcestershire County Council (23 016 330)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Alternative provision 07-Mar-2024

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about a short delay in providing alternative education provision as there is no worthwhile outcome achievable. And we cannot investigate the education provided by a school.

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council (23 004 502)

Statement Upheld Alternative provision 07-Mar-2024

Summary: Mrs X complained that the Council failed to provide appropriate education for her son, who has an Education, Health and Care Plan. We find fault by the Council causing an injustice. We have recommended ways to remedy this, which the Council has accepted.

Bristol City Council (23 004 786)

Statement Upheld Alternative provision 07-Mar-2024

Summary: The Council was at fault for failing to deliver alternative provision to Miss X’s daughter. This caused Miss X and her daughter a significant injustice. The Council agreed to apologise and make a symbolic payment to Miss X to remedy the injustice.

Central Bedfordshire Council (23 002 708)

Statement Upheld Alternative provision 05-Mar-2024

Summary: Mrs X complained the Council failed to provide a suitable education for her daughter, Y, when she was unable to attend school. There was fault in how the Council took too long to issue Y’s Education Health and Care plan and to arrange alternative education for Y, and in how it communicated with Mrs X. The Council agreed to fully apologise for those delays and pay a financial remedy. It also agreed to review how it manages contact with its special educational needs team and develop a plan to improve access to educational psychology advice.

Brighton & Hove City Council (23 010 785)

Statement Upheld Alternative provision 01-Mar-2024

Summary: Mrs X complained the Council failed to provide suitable education since July 2022. We found fault with the Council failing to provide suitable education for various time periods from July 2022 until November 2023. The Council agreed to apologise to Mrs X and pay her £1,400 for her child’s missed education. The Council also agreed to pay Mrs X £200 for the uncertainty about what educational provision should have been in place for 10 weeks from January 2023 to March 2023.

Trafford Council (23 008 628)

Statement Upheld Alternative provision 27-Feb-2024

Summary: Ms D complained the Council failed to provide her son with a full-time education when he stopped attending school. We find the Council was at fault for its delay in providing Ms D’s son with alternative provision. The Council has agreed to our recommendations to address the injustice caused by fault.

East Sussex County Council (23 004 062)

Statement Upheld Alternative provision 20-Feb-2024

Summary: Miss X complains the Council failed to provide her child, Y, with alternative provision when he was permanently excluded from school. We have found the Council at fault for not providing provision to Y. The Council has agreed to our recommendations to remedy the injustice caused by the fault.

Hampshire County Council (23 004 888)

Statement Not upheld Alternative provision 19-Feb-2024

Summary: Mrs X complained the Council failed to provide alternative education for her child when they were too ill to attend school. Mrs X said the lost education had a significant impact on her child. Mrs X said she suffered unnecessary and avoidable distress and frustration. We do not find the Council at fault. Also, most of the timeframe complained about is outside the Ombudsman’s jurisdiction.