Bath and North East Somerset Council (25 010 461)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 01-Sep-2026

Summary: The Council did not notify Mrs Y of its decision following D's annual review in October 2024 and did not issue an amended EHC Plan until almost one year later. There is no evidence to show the Council considered or recorded whether it owed D a duty under Section 19 of the Education Act 1996 when it became aware they were not attending school. This fault frustrated Mrs Y’s right of appeal and caused uncertainty about whether D should have received additional support sooner. The Council will apologise, make a symbolic payment and complete some improvements to its service.

Warwickshire County Council (25 015 472)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 01-Sep-2026

Summary: Miss X complains the Council did not deal with her son Y’s education properly, resulting in loss of educational provision. The Council is at fault because it delayed issuing Y’s Education Health and Care (EHC) Plan and did not consider whether it had a duty to provide s19 alternative education until after Y’s EHC plan had been finalised. Miss X suffered delayed appeal rights and Y suffered missed educational provision. The Council has already remedied the delay to Y’s EHC Plan. The Council should apologise to Miss X and make a symbolic payment to her.

North Northamptonshire Council (25 017 296)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 01-Sep-2026

Summary: There was fault by the Council. It did not send a final Education, Health and Care Plan in time for a parent to appeal to the SEND tribunal. When the Council became aware that a child was not attending the setting named in the Plan, no action was taken to ensure the provision in the Plan was delivered as the Council promised in its official complaint response. An apology, payment and review of procedures remedies the injustice from the loss of education to the child and distress to the parent.

Liverpool City Council (25 019 014)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 01-Sep-2026

Summary: Mrs X complained the Council did not secure appropriate provision for her son in line with his Education, Health and Care Plan when he stopped attending school. The Council offered a remedy as it accepted fault with not complying with its legal duties and poor communication. This caused significant distress and frustration for the family, and her son missed out on provision he was entitled to. The Council agreed to pay an increased symbolic payment to reflect the injustice caused.

Telford & Wrekin Council (25 020 702)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 01-Sep-2026

Summary: We find the Council was at fault for failing to ensure that Mrs X’s child received the Speech and Language Therapy in their Education, Health and Care Plan. To remedy the injustice, the Council has agreed to produce an action plan to explain how it intends to deliver the missed therapy provision, review its commissioning arrangements to ensure continuity of provision in the event of similar circumstances, and make a symbolic payment to Mrs X for the distress caused.

Lancashire County Council (25 027 098)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Special educational needs 01-Sep-2026

Summary: We cannot investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of Miss X’s application for an Education, Health and Care Plan for her daughter and its refusal to provide alternative educational provision while she was unable to attend school. This is because Miss X has used her right of appeal and issued proceedings against the Council at court.

Medway Council (25 027 926)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Special educational needs 01-Sep-2026

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs Y’s complaint about the Council’s failure to arrange alternative provision and carry out an early review of her child’s Education, Health and Care Plan. This is because these matters overlap with a SEND Tribunal appeal about her child’s Plan. And, we cannot achieve the outcome Mrs Y wants.

West Northamptonshire Council (25 013 584)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Special educational needs 31-Aug-2026

Summary: Mrs X complained about the Council’s failure to deliver the special educational provision included in her child’s Education Health and Care Plan. Mrs X also said the Council had failed to provide alternative education for her child when they were out of school. She also complained the Council did not provide free transport for some provision sessions and communicated with her poorly. We have decided not to investigate this complaint as the matters complained about were either part of Mrs X’s appeal to the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Tribunal or are too closely linked to the appeal. Matters before her appeal right arose happened too long ago for us to consider.

Oxfordshire County Council (25 015 836)

Statement Not upheld Special educational needs 31-Aug-2026

Summary: The Council was not at fault for the way it dealt with Miss X’s child’s educational provision when they could not attend school. We also find the Council replied to Miss X’s complaint.

Essex County Council (25 024 479)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Special educational needs 31-Aug-2026

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint that the Council did not respond appropriately to a complaint. It is not a good use of our resources to consider complaints about complaint procedures, and we will not do so here.