North Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council (24 013 096)

Statement Upheld Alternative provision 05-Aug-2025

Summary: Mrs X complained the Council failed to arrange suitable alternative provision for her child, W, when they stopped attending school. The Council was at fault. This caused Mrs X avoidable frustration, upset and uncertainty but we cannot say, even on balance, that it meant W missed out on education they should have had. To remedy Mrs X’s injustice, the Council will apologise and pay her £500. It will also issue a staff reminder to prevent the fault happening again.

Essex County Council (24 018 833)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 05-Aug-2025

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Education, Health and Care plan process. This is because the Council has agreed to an appropriate remedy for the injustice caused by the delay.

North Yorkshire Council (25 001 684)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Special educational needs 05-Aug-2025

Summary: We cannot investigate this complaint about failure to secure suitable education and special educational needs provision as set out in an Education, Health and Care Plan. This is because Mrs X started legal action against the Council about the same issues.

London Borough of Hackney (25 002 431)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Special educational needs 05-Aug-2025

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the Council’s handling of the Education, Health and Care Plan process for the complainant’s child. It is unlikely an investigation would add anything to the Council’s response or achieve a different outcome.

Central Bedfordshire Council (25 003 512)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Special educational needs 05-Aug-2025

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about a school named in her child’s Education Health and Care Plan. This is because she has appealed the decision to a tribunal.

Kent County Council (25 004 080)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries School admissions 05-Aug-2025

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about the Council’s school’s admissions appeal panel refusing her appeal. It is unlikely we would find fault which caused Mrs X to lose out on a school place.

Sandwell Metropolitan Borough Council (24 010 034)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Special educational needs 04-Aug-2025

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint after a school said it could no longer meet his child’s needs. This is because the complaint is made late. I will not investigate the Council’s decision to name a new school and the provision in place following this decision. This is because it is reasonable for Mr X to have used his right of appeal to a tribunal.

Lancashire County Council (24 012 735)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 04-Aug-2025

Summary: Mrs X complained about delay in the annual review process for her daughter’s Education Health and Care Plan. We found the Council’s delay was fault. The Council agreed to apologise and make a symbolic payment to acknowledge the distress caused to Mrs X and her daughter and the additional frustration caused by the delayed right of appeal.

Central Bedfordshire Council (24 014 612)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 04-Aug-2025

Summary: Miss Y complained about way the Council dealt with her child, Z’s Educational Health Care Plan, special educational needs provision and social care assessments and support. We have found fault by the Council in; failing to respond Miss Y’s request for a re-assessment of Z’s special educational needs, and complete the annual review, within the statutory timescales; and its communication and record keeping failures, causing injustice. We have not found fault with, or investigated the other parts of Miss Y’s complaint. The Council has agreed to remedy the injustice caused by apologising to Miss Y and making a payment to reflect the upset caused.

Bracknell Forest Council (24 002 890)

Statement Upheld Alternative provision 04-Aug-2025

Summary: The Council took too long to issue an Education, Health and Care Plan for Mrs X’s daughter following an annual review in February 2024. She also complained her daughter was not provided with a suitable education during the period she was unable to attend school from November 2023. We found no fault. We found there were faults with the Council’s handling of the school phase transfer review, record keeping and failure to consult with Mrs X’s preferred school. The Council agreed to apologise, make a payment to Mrs X and S and review progress on improving its practice.