East Sussex County Council (22 011 175)

Statement Upheld School transport 10-Apr-2023

Summary: Miss B complained that the Council in deciding her son’s application for school transport, failed to follow the guidance and its own policy or consider the individual circumstances of the case. We have found fault. The Council has agreed to pay Miss B £200 and has improved its procedures for the future.

East Sussex County Council (22 002 273)

Statement Upheld Safeguarding 19-Apr-2023

Summary: Miss X complained about the Council’s failure to carry out a proper safeguarding enquiry about neglect she suffered while living in a supported living unit arranged by the Council. We have found the Council to be at fault. The safeguarding enquiry was inadequate, and the Council failed to properly remedy the significant distress and uncertainty suffered by Miss X and her father, Mr Y. The Council has agreed with our recommendations to remedy this injustice.

East Sussex County Council (22 013 931)

Statement Upheld Assessment and care plan 23-May-2023

Summary: The complaint concerned the Council’s role in Mr C’s care in the months preceding his death. The complaint was made by his daughter Ms B. She said the Council delayed in assessing her father’s needs and when it did, the assessment did not accurately reflect his needs. She said the proposed support was not sufficient and the Council failed to put that support in place. She said the failure to provide the support he needed meant his quality of life was significantly affected and she believed it would have hastened his death. She said that it had a significant impact on her as she was aware of the way her father was suffering because of the lack of support. There was fault by the Council which caused injustice. The Council will apologise and make a symbolic payment to Ms B to recognise the distress caused.

East Sussex County Council (22 014 478)

Statement Upheld School transport 23-May-2023

Summary: Ms X complained the Council did not backdate the award of travel assistance to when her son started at the school he now attends. She said this caused her financial hardship as she had the cost of driving him to school every day. There was fault by the Council. The Council will reconsider the matter. That is the appropriate way forward.

East Sussex County Council (22 002 565)

Statement Upheld Assessment and care plan 25-May-2023

Summary: Ms X complained about how the Council carried out care, and financial assessments for Mr Y. We find the Council at fault for how it completed Mr Y’s care assessments. We recommend the Council apologise to Mr Y and Ms X and make payments to recognise the distress caused.

East Sussex County Council (22 004 441)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 06-Jun-2023

Summary: Miss X complains the Council failed to provide provision as specified in her daughter, Y’s, EHCP. We have concluded our investigation having made a finding of fault by the Council. The Council were at fault for failing to secure the provision as per Y’s EHCP and this caused an injustice to Y and Miss X. The Council has agreed to our recommendations.

East Sussex County Council (22 004 206)

Statement Upheld Safeguarding 19-Jun-2023

Summary: There was fault in the care that was provided to Mr C and there was poor communication relating to the safeguarding enquiries into the care. Both councils have agreed to apologise, to pay a financial remedy and to remind staff of the importance of involving the person at the centre of a safeguarding enquiry in the enquiry.

East Sussex County Council (22 005 731)

Statement Upheld Other 12-Jul-2023

Summary: The Council is at fault for failing to properly assess and put in preventative measures to support a person in need with fluctuating capacity. To remedy the complaint the Council has agreed to apologise to Mr D and Ms C and make a symbolic payment for the distress caused by the Council’s failures. It will work with Mr D to assess and plan future services, review procedures, remind staff about the importance of considering preventive measures and review processes when a person’s circumstances change.

East Sussex County Council (22 016 232)

Statement Upheld Alternative provision 08-Aug-2023

Summary: the Council took 17 weeks too long to amend Ms M’s daughter G’s Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan following an annual review in July 2022. We have recommended a remedy for the impact of the delay on G’s education and the additional childcare costs Ms M incurred. We cannot consider Ms M’s complaint once the Council issued the final amended Plan because she appealed to the SEND Tribunal.

East Sussex County Council (22 014 547)

Statement Upheld Alternative provision 15-Aug-2023

Summary: Mrs X complained the Council failed to make suitable education provision for her son, who has had limited school attendance since March 2021. We upheld her complaint, finding the Council gave inadequate attention to his case during the 2021/22 academic year when aware of his absences. This caused injustice to Mrs X and her son as the Council failed to ensure he received satisfactory education. The Council has accepted our findings and we set out at the end of this statement the action it has agreed to remedy their injustice.