Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council (24 013 122)

Report Upheld Special educational needs 24-Jul-2025

Summary: The Council failed to secure the special educational provision in Y’s Education, Health and Care Plan. It also failed to carry out the annual review of Y’s Plan, despite sending letters to Mrs X saying it had done so. This resulted in Y missing out on their special educational provision and caused Mrs X and Y uncertainty, distress and frustration. 99 others also received annual review completion letters when no meeting or consultation had taken place.

London Borough of Newham (24 016 895)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 15-Jul-2025

Summary: Miss Y complains the Council did not properly consider D’s ability to safely walk to school when it received an application for home to school transport. There is procedural fault in how the Council handled D’s school transport application and appeal. The Council will apologise and reconsider D’s application, taking into account the relevant tests for eligibility for children with special educational needs.

Derbyshire County Council (24 014 683)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 15-Jul-2025

Summary: We upheld Mrs X’s complaint about delays in the Education, Health and Care process and about the Council’s poor communication. The Council apologised and offered a £1,000 symbolic payment in line with the Ombudsman’s Guidance on Remedies. We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about advocacy costs because we cannot achieve the outcome Mrs X wants.

Somerset Council (24 015 059)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 15-Jul-2025

Summary: Miss X complained about delays with the annual review process and finding a suitable placement for her child, and they stopped attending school. We found the Council at fault for its delays and not properly considering its alternative provision duty, causing significant frustration and uncertainty. The Council has agreed to apologise and pay a financial symbolic payment to recognise the injustice caused.

Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council (24 011 956)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 15-Jul-2025

Summary: Miss X complains an error within the Council’s computer system took her children off the school roll. The school refused to take them back, causing frustration and distress to Miss X and her children, Y and Z. We find fault with the Council for the computer error, but the apologies given already are a satisfactory remedy.

Hampshire County Council (24 012 790)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 15-Jul-2025

Summary: Miss Y complained the Council failed to provide her child, Z, with a suitable full-time education and the special educational needs support in their Education Health and Care Plan. We have found fault by the Council, causing injustice, in failing to secure the proper delivery of Z’s special education needs and educational provision from June 2023 to July 2024; and with its communication failures. The Council has agreed to remedy this injustice by apologising and making payments to recognise the impact on Z of the missed provision and Miss Y’s upset and worry.

Wiltshire Council (24 013 198)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 15-Jul-2025

Summary: Mrs B complained the Council failed to follow the correct process following a Tribunal order and it has failed to provide the correct support as detailed in her son’s Education, Health and Care Plan. We found the Council at fault for a delay in providing the special educational provision set out in the Education, Health and Care Plan. This caused distress and frustration. The Council has agreed to apologise and make a symbolic payment to remedy the injustice caused.

Warwickshire County Council (25 000 586)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Special educational needs 15-Jul-2025

Summary: We cannot investigate this complaint that the Council has failed to make appropriate educational provision for her son. This is because the complaint concerns matters which have been the subject of appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability), or are not separable from those matters.

Norfolk County Council (25 001 813)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Special educational needs 15-Jul-2025

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint the Council delayed a decision for an Education Health and Care Plan. This is because there is not enough evidence of fault by the Council in the length of time it took. We will not investigate his complaint about how the Council communicated this decision as there is no significant injustice to Mr X. Finally, we will not investigate the Council’s decision not to issue an Education Health and Care Plan. This is because Mr X has a right of appeal about this and it would be reasonable to expect him to use it.

Suffolk County Council (25 002 315)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Special educational needs 15-Jul-2025

Summary: We cannot investigate this complaint about the Council’s decision relating to an Education, Health and Care Plan for Mrs X’s child. This is because Mrs X appealed the decision to the First-tier Tribunal and the law does not allow us to investigate.