Recent statements in this category are shown below:
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Statement Upheld Alternative provision 16-Dec-2025
Summary: Ms X complained the Council failed to provide suitable education for her child from January 2024 to January 2025. She says that her child has special educational needs and has lost out on education because of this issue. We found the Council at fault. The Council has agreed to apologise and make a symbolic payment to remedy the injustice caused.
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Brighton & Hove City Council (25 001 278)
Statement Upheld Alternative provision 15-Dec-2025
Summary: We found fault on Mrs Y’s complaint against the Council about it failing to ensure her daughter, who has an Education, Health and Care plan, received provision and suitable full-time education when she was not at school. There were periods when provision was not in place. The Council agreed to send a written apology for the injustice the failures caused, pay £900 for lost provision, and review why delays and failures happened so they cannot be repeated.
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Surrey County Council (24 014 302)
Statement Upheld Alternative provision 12-Dec-2025
Summary: Ms X complained the Council failed to put in place suitable alternative provision after her child stopped attending school. The Council failed to demonstrate that it kept its duty to arrange alternative education provision under review for a period of seven months. This caused Ms X avoidable frustration and uncertainty and to recognise this, the Council has agreed to apologise and pay Ms X £300. For the rest of the period Ms X complained of, the Council kept this duty under review as we would expect and was not at fault.
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Statement Upheld Alternative provision 12-Dec-2025
Summary: We found fault with the Council for failing to keep Mrs X’s child’s access to education under suitable review from March 2025 to the end of the academic year. The Council agreed to reconsider its Section 19 duty to arrange alternative provision of education for Mrs X’s child considering up-to-date information, apologise to Mrs X and pay her £400 for her child’s potential lost opportunity and her uncertainty caused by the Council’s fault.
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Surrey County Council (25 003 726)
Statement Not upheld Alternative provision 12-Dec-2025
Summary: Ms X complained the Council failed to provide her child with suitable, alternative education when her child was out of school for two years. In recognition of the injustice caused, the Council has paid Ms X a symbolic financial remedy and there are already service improvements underway at this Council. We therefore decided to discontinue this investigation, as further investigation would not lead to a worthwhile or different outcome.
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Leeds City Council (24 023 270)
Statement Upheld Alternative provision 11-Dec-2025
Summary: Ms X complained the Council failed to provide her daughter with alternative provision while she was out of school. We find the Council at fault for failing to arrange a suitable full-time education or any alternative provision from October 2024 to February 2025. The Council also failed to meet its statutory duty to ensure the provision set out in her daughter’s Education, Health and Care Plan was delivered. This fault meant Ms X’s daughter missed out on education and special educational provision. This also caused Ms X and her daughter distress and uncertainty. The Council has agreed to apologise and make a payment to Ms X.
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Statement Upheld Alternative provision 11-Dec-2025
Summary: Miss B complained there were delays by the Council during the Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan process for her son, who I will refer to as C; it failed to secure provision for C as set out in his EHC Plan, and it failed to arrange alternative provision for C when he was unable to attend school. There was fault by the Council. The Council did not meet statutory timescales during the EHC Plan process, did not properly consider and evidence if a section 19 duty applied and if C’s school was available and accessible, and delayed putting in place education provision for C. Because of the fault, Miss B suffered uncertainty and a delayed right of appeal. C also missed out on education provision. The Council has agreed to apologise to Miss B, provide symbolic payments, issue staff briefings, and send us a copy of its action plan.
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Essex County Council (25 002 006)
Statement Upheld Alternative provision 08-Dec-2025
Summary: The Council was at fault for failing to provide Miss X’s child Y with alternative educational provision and the specialist provision in their Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan when they stopped attending school. The Council was also at fault for failing to issue Y’s final amended EHC Plan within statutory timescales following the annual review. The Council has agreed to apologise and make a payment to remedy the injustice caused.
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City of Doncaster Council (25 002 178)
Statement Upheld Alternative provision 08-Dec-2025
Summary: Miss X complained the Council failed to provide alternative education or a school place when her son was permanently excluded from school in June 2024. Miss X also complained about delays in reviewing and finalising her son’s Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan and poor communication. We found the Council’s failure to ensure Y received a suitable education for a term and a half is fault. As was the poor communication and failure to keep Miss X informed. This fault has caused Miss X and Y an injustice.
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Warwickshire County Council (24 005 468)
Statement Upheld Alternative provision 04-Dec-2025
Summary: We find the Council at fault for delays in the education, health and care plan review process, delays implementing alternative educational provision, poor complaint handling, and poor communication. This caused Miss X distress and frustration, and denied her appeal right. The Council will apologise and make a payment.