Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council (25 005 651)

Statement Upheld Alternative provision 10-Mar-2026

Summary: The Council was at fault in failing to provide child Y, who had an Education, Health and Care Plan, with alternative educational provision. This caused Y the injustice of five months of missed education, for which the Council agreed to make a payment by way of remedy. The Council was not at fault in not providing educational provision during the three-month period in which Y was Electively Home Educated.

Birmingham City Council (24 022 806)

Statement Upheld Alternative provision 05-Mar-2026

Summary: Miss X complained the Council failed to provide education to her child Y. She also complained the Council failed to name a specialist education provider in Y’s Education Health and Care (EHC) Plan. Miss X says this caused Y to miss education and impacted Miss X financially. The Council was at fault. It did not provide education for Y. The Council has agreed to apologise and make a financial payment.

Derby City Council (25 000 786)

Statement Upheld Alternative provision 04-Mar-2026

Summary: We found fault by the Council on Mrs Y’s complaint about it failing to provide alternative education to her son, Z, who was without formal education from April 2024. It failed to show it properly considered whether it owed Z a duty to provide alternative provision. It also failed to communicate with her properly. The Council agreed to send an apology, make a payment for lost provision, a contribution towards advocacy and tuition costs, reviewing what happened, and reminding officers of what is expected of them.

Shropshire Council (25 002 787)

Statement Upheld Alternative provision 03-Mar-2026

Summary: The Council delayed deciding whether to issue Mrs X’s child, Y with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan within statutory timescales. This was caused by an 11 week delay in obtaining Educational Psychologist advice during Y’s EHC needs assessment. The Council agreed to apologies to Mrs X and make a payment to recognise the injustice caused. The Council was also at fault for failing to decide whether it should put alternative provision in place for Y when Mrs X made it aware in October 2024 that Y was not in school. This did not cause an injustice however because Y’s school had put appropriate support in place.

Hampshire County Council (25 013 613)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Alternative provision 03-Mar-2026

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s education provision for Mrs X’s child while they were out of school. There is insufficient evidence of fault in the Council’s initial decision to justify an investigation. In addition, we cannot consider later parts of the complaint because Mrs X had a right of appeal to a Tribunal, to challenge the Council’s decisions. And it would have been reasonable for her to use her right of appeal.

Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council (25 005 903)

Statement Upheld Alternative provision 27-Feb-2026

Summary: Mr X complained the Council failed to provide alternative provision for his child, Y, when they were unable to attend school from May 2024. We find the Council at fault for failing to consider whether Y required alternative provision. This caused Mr X frustration and uncertainty. The Council has agreed to apologise and make a symbolic payment.

Wokingham Borough Council (25 005 543)

Statement Upheld Alternative provision 26-Feb-2026

Summary: The Council was at fault for the time it took to issue a final Education, Health and Care Plan after an annual review and for not putting in place suitable education for a child when they were out of school. This meant the child missed out on education they should have received. To remedy the injustice caused the Council agreed to apologise and make a payment to recognise the loss of education.

London Borough of Hounslow (25 006 657)

Statement Upheld Alternative provision 25-Feb-2026

Summary: The Council was at fault. It did not provide Mrs X’s child, Y, with a suitable education or their special educational provision to which they were entitled. The Council will apologise to Y and pay Mrs X a symbolic payment to acknowledge Y’s missed education, missed special educational provision and Mrs X’s uncertainty. It will put a service improvement in place.

Hertfordshire County Council (25 005 801)

Statement Upheld Alternative provision 24-Feb-2026

Summary: Mr B complained the Council failed to issue an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan for his daughter, who I will refer to as C, within statutory timescales and failed to arrange education for her after she was permanently excluded from school. There was fault by the Council. The Council did not issue C’s final EHC Plan within statutory timescales. It also delayed arranging alternative education provision for C. Because of the fault, Mr B suffered uncertainty and a frustrated right of appeal. C also missed out on education provision. The Council has agreed to apologise to Mr B and C, and make symbolic payments.

London Borough of Islington (25 016 372)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Alternative provision 24-Feb-2026

Summary: We cannot investigate this complaint about the Council’s alternative educational provision for Mrs X’s child while they were not at school. Mrs X has already used a right of appeal about a closely related matter, and the law says that we cannot investigate a lack of education.