Lancashire County Council (24 021 116)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 03-Mar-2026

Summary: Mrs X complains the Council has failed to provide her daughter Y, with the provision outlined in her Education, Health and Care Plan. Mrs X says the Council failed to reimburse her for provision she has paid for to allow Y to receive education and support or put a personal budget in place. Mrs X says this has caused her and her family distress. We have found fault in the actions of the Council for failing to provide the provision in Section F and for failing to implement a personal budget. The Council has agreed to write to Mrs X to issue an apology and pay her a symbolic payment.

Medway Council (25 004 658)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 03-Mar-2026

Summary: Miss X complained the Council failed to secure special educational provision in her son Y’s Education, Health and Care Plan, took too long to review the plan, and had poor communication and complaint responses. We find the Council at fault because it failed to secure some of the provision, missed statutory deadlines and for poor communication. The fault meant Y missed some education and caused distress, uncertainty and frustration. The Council has agreed to make a symbolic payment and apologise to remedy the injustice.

Kent County Council (25 008 685)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 03-Mar-2026

Summary: Mrs X complained the Council did not complete an interim review of her child’s Education Health and Care Plan. She said this impacted her child’s education and emotional wellbeing. We find the Council at fault which caused injustice. We are satisfied the Council’s actions have remedied the injustice caused.

Derbyshire County Council (25 010 065)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 03-Mar-2026

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s delays in reviewing Mrs X’s child’s Education, Health and Care Plan and in issuing the final Plan. The Council provided a suitable remedy for Mrs X’s injustice. An investigation would not achieve any more for her.

Surrey County Council (25 011 087)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 03-Mar-2026

Summary: Mr X complained that the Council delayed finalising his son’s Education, Health and Care plan. We have found the Council was at fault and caused a delay of nine weeks. This caused Mr X and his son uncertainty. The Council has agreed to apologise for this injustice.

Gloucestershire County Council (25 014 419)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Special educational needs 03-Mar-2026

Summary: We cannot investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of an annual review of an Education, Health and Care Plan. This is because the complainant has used her right to appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability) and the Courts have decided that the Ombudsman cannot intervene where the right to appeal has been used.

Leeds City Council (25 016 532)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 03-Mar-2026

Summary: We upheld this complaint that the Council delayed issuing a final Education Health and care plan. The Council upheld the complaint, apologised and offered a financial remedy of £850. This is in line with our Guidance on Remedies and therefore we decided not to investigate because further investigation by us would not be proportionate.

Surrey County Council (24 014 984)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 02-Mar-2026

Summary: Mrs H complained the Council’s Adult Social Care and Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Teams have not worked well together in providing her son with the support he needs. There has been delay, inaccuracies and a refusal to increase support. We uphold the complaint due to delays in assessments, approving direct payments, joint working and providing overnight respite. The Council has agreed to our recommendations for ways to remedy the injustice.

Leeds City Council (25 001 469)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 02-Mar-2026

Summary: Mrs X complained about the Council’s actions relating to her son’s education. We found fault because the Council took too long to issue his Education, Health and Care Plan. It also failed to appropriately consider whether it owed him a duty to provide alternative education when he could not attend school. This caused Mrs X avoidable distress, frustration and uncertainty. It also meant her son missed out on education. The Council has already offered Mrs X payments to remedy missed education. The Council will now offer increased payments for missed education, offer Mrs X its suggested payment for the delay in completing her son’s plan and apologise to her.

Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council (25 002 105)

Statement Not upheld Special educational needs 02-Mar-2026

Summary: Mrs X complained the Council failed to provide a full time education for her daughter, Y, since October 2024. She also complained the Council failed to provide the provision as set out in Y’s Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan. Mrs X said this caused the family distress and Y missed education and plan provision. The Council was not at fault.