Cambridgeshire County Council (23 011 035)

Statement Upheld Charging 08-May-2024

Summary: Mrs D complained on behalf of her mother Mrs E that the Council had acted unreasonably in the treatment of Mrs E’s capital in a financial assessment for her contribution to care charges. On the evidence available we have not found fault with the decision-making process, but we have found fault with the complaint-handling. We have asked the Council to pay Mrs D £200 and invite her to apply for a new financial assessment from February 2023.

Cambridgeshire County Council (23 011 946)

Statement Upheld Charging 23-May-2024

Summary: Mrs C complained her family was not properly advised about the charges involved in securing a placement for her mother in a residential care home. Mrs C said she was not able to make a properly informed decision about her mother’s care and incurred unexpected costs. We found fault by the Council but considered the action it had already proposed of waiving some fees, symbolic payment and service improvements provided a suitable remedy.

Cambridgeshire County Council (23 019 553)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 14-Jul-2024

Summary: Mr X complained the Council took too long to complete an Education, Health and Care Plan assessment for his child, Z. The Council was at fault for delay in issuing the final Plan. This caused Mr X avoidable uncertainty and frustration and meant Z missed out on special educational provision. To remedy their injustice, the Council will apologise and make payments to Mr X.

Cambridgeshire County Council (23 018 684)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 24-Jul-2024

Summary: Ms M complains about delays by the Council arranging the special educational provision in her daughter G’s Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan. We are satisfied the Council responded appropriately to Ms M’s complaint.

Cambridgeshire County Council (23 012 673)

Statement Upheld Child protection 05-Sep-2024

Summary: Mr and Mrs X complain the Council was at fault in how it managed its child protection enquiry relating to their children following an incident in June 2023. We found the Council was at fault for delay in completing the Child and Family Assessment as well as the poor communication with Mr and Mrs X. The Council agreed to address the injustice its actions caused to Mr and Mrs X in line with our recommendations.

Cambridgeshire County Council (23 019 550)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 06-Oct-2024

Summary: Mr X complained about the Council’s handling of his child, Y’s education since their Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan annual review in September 2022. The Council was at fault. It delayed consulting with secondary schools for Y and delayed issuing Y’s amended EHC Plan. All this delayed Y’s transition to secondary school until 2024 which caused Y and Mr X distress, uncertainty and frustration and impacted on Y’s social development.

Cambridgeshire County Council (23 015 876)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 31-Oct-2024

Summary: Mx B complained about matters connected to the Council’s assessment of their child’s education, health and care needs. We upheld the complaint finding various faults in how the Council responded to Mx B’s service requests, their complaint and a request they made for reasonable adjustments. These faults caused Mx B distress. The Council has accepted these findings. At the end of this statement, we set out action the action it has agreed to take to remedy Mx B’s injustice and improve its services.

Cambridgeshire County Council (24 006 196)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 02-Dec-2024

Summary: Mrs X complained the Council delayed telling her it was going to amend her child’s Education, Health and Care Plan following an annual review and has still not sent her a final amended Education, Health and Care Plan. Mrs X said her child is not getting the support they need because of these delays. We found the Council at fault for not telling Mrs X the outcome of the annual review or issuing a final Education, Health and Care Plan within the statutory timescales. To remedy the injustice caused the Council agreed to apologise, make a payment to Mrs X for the distress caused and issue her child with a final Education, Health and Care Plan.

Cambridgeshire County Council (24 003 043)

Statement Upheld Alternative provision 03-Dec-2024

Summary: There was fault by the Council. The Council delayed issuing an Education, Health and Care Plan and did not provide alternative educational provision for a child for the final year of primary school. Apologising and making a symbolic payment remedies the injustice. The child is now attending a specialist secondary school.

Cambridgeshire County Council (23 019 887)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 19-Dec-2024

Summary: Mx B complained about the Council’s response to, and handling of, a complaint concerned with their child’s special educational needs. We upheld the complaint, finding some fault in the Council’s communications with Mx B and its complaint handling. We considered this caused some avoidable distress. The Council accepted these findings and provided an apology to Mx B and a commitment to improve its service.