Overview:

Key to names used

• Miss X The complainant
• B Her daughter

Summary

Miss X had complained about the Council’s failures regarding her daughter’s lack of education when in her first year at secondary school. We had found fault causing injustice. The Council agreed to remedy the complaint in the way we had recommended. However, the Council failed to comply with the agreed actions within the timescale required.

Finding

Fault found causing injustice and recommendations made.

Recommendations

The Council must consider the report and confirm within three months the action it has taken or proposes to take. The Council should consider the report at its full Council, Cabinet or other appropriately delegated committee of elected members and we will require evidence of this. (Local Government Act 1974, section 31(2), as amended)

The Council plans to do this in January 2024 and it will share its report with us.

The Council has now provided evidence that it has apologised and paid Miss X the required payments.

In response to a draft version of this report, the Council has also introduced the following measures to improve its services.

• A new policy on elective home education, where the council asks parents to apply for school places if they are providing unsuitable home education, and are referred to Children Missing from Education and School Attendance officers, if they do not. The team has been restructured with additional staff brought in.
• Monthly reviews of primary school-aged children under a new in-year fair access panel policy.
• Additional support for parents/carers who want their children to be re-integrated to school.
• Minutes of decisions at its fair access panel.
• Staff training around principles of good complaint handling.

We are pleased that the Council has now taken action to resolve Miss X’s complaints.

Ombudsman satisfied with Council response: 23 April 2024.

Print this page