Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about the disruption to her grandson’s education because there is nothing we could add to the Council’s response.

The complaint

1. Ms X complained about her grandson’s education. He has missed a year of school. She has been chasing the Council for payments it offered in place of free school meals.

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The Ombudsman’s role and powers

2. We investigate complaints about ‘maladministration’ and ‘service failure’, which we call ‘fault’. We must also consider whether any fault has had an adverse impact on the person making the complaint, which we call ‘injustice’. We provide a free service but must use public money carefully. We do not start or continue an investigation if we decide we could not add to any previous investigation by the organization. (Local Government Act 1974, section 24A(6), as amended)

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How I considered this complaint

3. I considered information provided by the complainant and the Council.
4. I considered the Ombudsman’s Assessment Code.

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My assessment

5. I have carefully considered everything Ms X said, although I have not included every detail here. I have included as few details as possible to protect the anonymity of Ms X and her family.
6. Ms X’s grandson, B, has an education, health and care (EHC) plan maintained by the Council.
7. There were delays finding a school for B for September 2025. When the Council found a school, the school refused to admit him. The Council was unable to change the school’s mind, so it began to look for a different school. The Council offered symbolic payments to acknowledge the disruption to B’s schooling, and it arranged for a tutor and later for alternative provision until it found a new school. B is due to start a new school in September 2026.
8. Ms X asked the Council to make payments in place of the free school meals B would have received if he had been at school. The Council agreed. Ms X wrote to the Council a number of times to chase the payments as B’s absence from school continued. In August 2026, the Council made a symbolic payment to acknowledge her time and trouble.
9. Things have clearly gone wrong in B’s case. He should have been in school. When the Council was unable to secure a suitable school place, it made alternative arrangements for his education. The Council has also made payments in place of free school meals, and symbolic payments to acknowledge the delay, disruption and the lengths Ms X has gone to. We could not add anything to the Council’s response by investigating Ms X’s complaint further. The Council has already done all we would recommend in the circumstances.

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Final decision

10. We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint because there is nothing we could add to the Council’s response.

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Investigator's decision on behalf of the Ombudsman