London Borough of Lambeth (21 010 042)
Statement Upheld Other 03-Apr-2022
Summary: Miss X complained the Council wrongly sought to prosecute her for her son's non-attendance at school. The Council's failure to properly document how it considered all of the factors and reached the decision to prosecute Miss X for Mr Y's non-attendance at school, amounts to fault. This fault has caused Miss X an injustice.
Statement Upheld Other 07-Mar-2022
Summary: Ms X complained the Council failed to ensure her son, B, received suitable educational provision from October 2020 when he became too unwell to attend school. The Council has largely accepted it was at fault and has offered several remedies, which we find mainly remedy the injustice caused to Ms X and her son, B, who missed out on educational provision. We also find the Council at fault for taking a restrictive view of B's individual circumstances, which focused on the provision of medical evidence before arranging alternative provision for B. To remedy this, the Council has agreed to apologise to Ms X and make several service improvements.
Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council (21 006 985)
Statement Not upheld Other 14-Feb-2022
Summary: Ms M complained about disabled children's access to the the holiday activities and food programme. The Council responded to Ms M's concerns and agreed to work with Ms M to improve the scheme in the future. There is nothing more the Ombudsman can add by investigating the complaint further.
Hertfordshire County Council (21 001 911)
Statement Not upheld Other 20-Dec-2021
Summary: Mrs B complained the Council's special educational needs and disability department failed to make reasonable adjustments for her during her daughter's education, health and care assessment. Mrs B said this caused her distress and impacted on her ability to engage with the Council. There was no fault with the Council's actions.
Warwickshire County Council (20 014 337)
Statement Upheld Other 04-Nov-2021
Summary: Miss X complains she has been charged a top-up fee for nursery childcare that the Council should have ensured she received free of charge. She also says the Council failed to handle her complaint appropriately. The Council is at fault and has caused injustice to Miss X. It has agreed financial remedies, an apology and service improvements.
Bristol City Council (20 012 152)
Statement Not upheld Other 29-Sep-2021
Summary: Mr F objects to a nursery's charge of £1 per hour for "consumables" when his children access their free early education entitlement. It is for the nursery to decide how to respond to parents who cannot or do not want to pay the charge; Mr F could take his business elsewhere. The Council is working with the nursery to ensure its charges are clear, transparent and itemised. There is no fault by the Council.
Lincolnshire County Council (20 011 505)
Statement Upheld Other 27-Aug-2021
Summary: a nursery's charge of £1 per hour for "consumables" is not a top-up fee, but the charges are not clear. The Council has agreed to work with the nursery to ensure its charges are clear, transparent and itemised, and parents understand how they can access free childcare without paying the charge when the nursery is delivering the Free Early Education Entitlement.
Lancashire County Council (20 011 023)
Statement Upheld Other 12-Jul-2021
Summary: Ms C complained the Council failed to respond to her Free School Meals application and provide the support she was entitled to. As a result, she said she experienced a financial loss. The Council reviewed the case and agreed it was at fault as it used an incorrect National Insurance number to assess her application. It has apologised to Ms C and made payment equal to the amount she would have received in Free School Meals and the Summer Holiday Scheme.
Herefordshire Council (20 011 562)
Statement Not upheld Other 24-Jun-2021
Summary: Mrs M cannot take up her children's Free Early Education Entitlement at a nursery in Wales because the nursery is not eligible. There is no fault by the Council.
Portsmouth City Council (20 009 922)
Statement Not upheld Other 14-Jun-2021
Summary: Ms X complained about the Council's actions in respect of the elective home education which she has been providing to her two children. We are discontinuing our investigation because a group of parents have leave to pursue a judicial review of the Council's policy and procedures. Ms X's complaint is inextricably linked to this legal action.