Summary: Mrs X complains the Council failed to tell her she had to apply for post 16 transport for her son, Y, causing her financial loss and Y to miss the start of school.

Finding

The Ombudsman upheld the complaint and found fault causing injustice.

Recommendations

The Council has agreed to carry out the following actions within three months of the date of this report.

• Provide Mrs X with a written apology.
• Pay Mrs X £2,400 to reimburse taxi costs.
• Pay Mrs X £150 for distress and uncertainty.
• Pay Mrs X £100 for time and trouble.
• Write to the family of any young person with Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) who was receiving travel assistance before a move into further education from September 2018 up to and including September 2019. The letter should refer to this public report and invite families to make a retrospective application for transport if necessary. If a decision is/has since been reached that the Council should provide travel assistance, it should reimburse any transport costs incurred by the families upon satisfactory evidence.
• Take action to ensure the Council tells parents of children in Year 11 with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) to apply for post 16 transport going forward and, inform us of the action taken to achieve this.

Ombudsman satisfied with Council's response: 5 March 2021

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