Bracknell Forest Council (23 020 397)

Statement Upheld Child protection 06-May-2024

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint that the Council failed to seek his consent before it spoke with his children following a safeguarding referral to its children’s services department. This is because the Council upheld the complaint and remedied the injustice caused by apologising. An investigation by the Ombudsman is unlikely to achieve a different outcome. We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint that a social worker lied about obtaining his consent because an investigation by the Ombudsman is unlikely to achieve a different outcome.

Bracknell Forest Council (23 007 019)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 14-May-2024

Summary: Mrs X complains the Council failed to respond to her request for an Education, Health and Care Needs reassessment for her son, and failed to respond to her complaint. We find fault with the Council for failing to properly respond to her request and complaint, and for delay in dealing with her complaint. We have agreed symbolic payments for the distress and uncertainty caused to Mrs X.

Bracknell Forest Council (23 006 255)

Statement Upheld Alternative provision 20-May-2024

Summary: Mrs X complains about the Council’s failure to provide adequate and timely alternative education provision for her Child, Child Y, when they were unable to attend school from January to July 2023. The Council was at fault for not acting sooner when Mrs X alerted it in early November 2022 of Child Y’s significantly decreased school attendance. The Council delayed responding to Mrs X’s request for and then completion of an early Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan review for Child Y. The Council has agreed to apologise and make payments to Mrs X and Child Y for the injustice caused by these faults. It will also review its procedures for schools in its area to highlight any pupils who fail to attend school regularly.

Bracknell Forest Council (23 014 814)

Statement Upheld Alternative provision 23-Jun-2024

Summary: There was no fault the Council did not make alternative education provision available when Mrs X’s daughter first stopped going to school. The evidence shows the school were initially successful in returning her to school gradually. However, when this arrangement broke down and Mrs X’s daughter stopped attending, there was fault the Council did not consider and decide whether it owed a duty to make alternative education provision available. That fault caused Mrs X an injustice because she now has uncertainty about whether her daughter missed out on education.

Bracknell Forest Council (23 014 798)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 29-Jul-2024

Summary: Mrs X complained about the delay in receiving remedies the Council agreed to pay to her and her son, S, in August 2021. The Council was at fault. It did not realise it had not completed the actions it committed to in August 2021 until Mrs X made her complaint. It also did not have a personal budget procedure in place which delayed the payments. This caused Mrs X and S injustice and at the end of this draft decision statement we recommend what actions the Council should take to put things right.

Bracknell Forest Council (23 015 717)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 15-Aug-2024

Summary: Mrs X complained about the Council’s failure to provide her child with a suitable education and support for their special needs when they were unable to attend school. We found the Council to be at fault. There was also fault with the Council’s communication and complaint handling. To remedy the injustice to Mrs X, the Council has agreed to apologise, make a payment and confirm action it has taken to improve its service.

Bracknell Forest Council (24 004 511)

Statement Upheld Other 21-Aug-2024

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the support provided through Child in Need arrangements. The Council has upheld the complaint and offered an appropriate remedy. Further investigation by us would not lead to a different outcome.

Bracknell Forest Council (24 004 516)

Statement Upheld Other 27-Aug-2024

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the actions of the Council’s Children’s Service. That is because further investigation would not lead to a different outcome.

Bracknell Forest Council (23 017 970)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 05-Sep-2024

Summary: Mr X complained about how he has been treated by the Council. He said: staff are discriminating against him because of his homelessness and disabilities; the Council has not supported him properly because he does not have access to the services; the Council asked him to sign a tenancy agreement without having the chance to see the property and said the Council’s communication has been poor. We find the Council was at fault for failing to respond to some of Mr X’s emails. This caused him significant distress. To remedy this injustice caused by fault the Council has agreed to apologise.

Bracknell Forest Council (23 014 208)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 24-Jan-2025

Summary: Mrs X complained the Council took too long to approve a tutor for her son. We found the Council was at fault for the delay in approving a tutor for Mrs X’s son. The Council agreed to apologise, make a payment to Mrs X and Mr S and improve its practice.