Service improvements

London Borough of Bromley

Showing service improvements between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2027

Find out more about service improvements

When we find fault, we can recommend improvements to systems and processes where they haven’t worked properly, so that others do not suffer from these same problems in future. Common examples are policy changes; procedural reviews; and staff training. Service improvements from decisions are published for 5 years and those from reports are published for 10 years.

Showing 11 - 20 of 40 cases with service improvements

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Downloads the current filtered list of service improvement decisions for London Borough of Bromley as a CSV file.

  • London Borough of Bromley (24 012 965)

    Category: Education Date: 18-Sep-2025

    Summary

    Ms X complained that the Council failed to provide her son, Y, with suitable full-time education and failed to secure Section F provision of his EHCP during the 2023/24 academic year. The Council failed to implement the education package it proposed and did not secure the specialist dyslexia provision required in Y’s Plan. As a result, Y missed out on significant education and specialist support, and Ms X was caused avoidable distress and frustration. The Council has agreed to our recommendations.

    Service improvements

    Review its procedures for securing EOTAS provision in cases where a personal budget is declined or inappropriate, to ensure robust commissioning and contingency arrangements are in place.

  • London Borough of Bromley (24 011 536)

    Category: Education Date: 21-Apr-2025

    Summary

    Mx G complained the Council failed to issue an education, health and care (EHC) plan after a review, delayed completing a reassessment of her needs, did not secure educational provision in accordance with her existing EHC plan, and failed to honour an agreement to provide a personal budget to fund her provision, meaning her mother, Mrs P, had to do this instead. We consider the Council was at fault on all points of complaint. This caused uncertainty and distress to Mx G and Mrs P, for which the Council has agreed to apologise and offer a financial remedy.

    Service improvements

    The Council should issue guidance to relevant staff, to remind them the SEN Code says (at paragraph 9.192) the 14-week deadline for completing an EHC needs reassessment begins on the date the decision to reassess is made.

  • London Borough of Bromley (24 011 482)

    Category: Education Date: 07-Apr-2025

    Summary

    Mrs X complained the Council did not review her child’s Education Health and Care Plan in line with statutory timescales and did not deliver the provisions set out in the Plan. Mrs X says this has impacted her child’s education and caused her financial strain. The Ombudsman finds the Council at fault which caused Mrs X and her child injustice. The Council has agreed to take service improvement action and make a payment to Mrs X.

    Service improvements

    The Council will tell us what steps it is taking to ensure it is seeking to commission alternative providers in cases where the initial commissioned providers do not have capacity to meet the provision detailed in the EHC Plan.

  • London Borough of Bromley (24 009 928)

    Category: Education Date: 25-Jun-2025

    Summary

    Mrs X complained the Council delayed issuing her child’s education, health and care (EHC) Plan and it failed to provide her with an education when she was unable to attend school. We found the Council at fault for delays in finalising the EHC Plan and arranging a suitable education. The faults caused a loss of education and avoidable distress. The Council has agreed to remedy the injustice caused by apologising in writing and providing a payment to the family.

    Service improvements

    The Council has also agreed that within eight weeks of this final decision, it will remind officers that its Section 19 duty is engaged as soon as it becomes aware a child or young person is not attending school, regardless of whether the Council receives a formal referral through its Gateway Service.

  • London Borough of Bromley (24 007 654)

    Category: Education Date: 13-Apr-2025

    Summary

    Ms B complained the Council failed to put in place provision in her daughter’s education, health and care plan. I am satisfied some of the claimed missing provision was in place but the Council failed to put in place the speech and language therapy. The Council also failed to make its own enquiries with the school when Ms B complained. That means Ms B’s daughter missed out on speech and language therapy and Ms B experienced distress. An apology, payment to Ms B and reminder to officers is satisfactory remedy.

    Service improvements

    The Council will remind officers dealing with EHC Plans of the Council’s responsibility for ensuring provision in an EHC Plan is in place. That reminder should include the need to liaise with the education provider if a parent/carer raises concerns about provision not being in place, rather than directing the parent/carer back to the education provider.

  • London Borough of Bromley (24 006 466)

    Category: Education Date: 13-Feb-2025

    Summary

    There was fault in the way the Council considered whether it had a duty to provide alternative education when a child stopped attending their school. During this investigation the Council has offered a suitable remedy for the injustice caused to Ms X and her child. This offer, and our recommended service improvements, are a satisfactory resolution to the complaint.

    Service improvements

    The Council will ensure officers follow a clear andconsistent process when considering s.19 and s.42 duties. This should includeconsulting professionals involved with the child, considering all the evidence,reaching a decision, recording the decision and rationale, and thencommunicating this to families. The Council may wish to consider whether adecision checklist and standard decision letter format may be helpful toofficers making decisions and to those reviewing decisions or consideringcomplaints.

  • London Borough of Bromley (24 005 979)

    Category: Education Date: 31-Jan-2025

    Summary

    Mrs X complained the Council failed to secure the special educational provision in her child, W’s, Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan. The Council was at fault, which meant W missed out on one and a half terms of provision they should have had. The fault also caused Mrs X avoidable upset. To remedy her and W’s injustice, the Council will apologise to Mrs X, pay her a total £1500 and review the systems it has to monitor consultations with educational providers.

    Service improvements

    The Council will review the systems it has in place for monitoring consultations with education and tuition providers to ensure they are sent and followed up without delay.

  • London Borough of Bromley (24 005 751)

    Category: Education Date: 28-Mar-2025

    Summary

    Ms X complained the Council failed to secure the special educational provision in her daughter, W’s, Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan after W struggled to attend school. The Council was at fault, but we cannot say it meant W missed out provision she should have had. The Council was at fault for delay in reviewing and amending W’s EHC Plan. That fault caused Ms X avoidable frustration, meant W missed out on some special educational provision and delayed W receiving free school transport. To remedy their injustice, the Council will apologise to Ms X, pay her £450 and issue a reminder to staff.

    Service improvements

    The Council will remind staff that when a child or young person is out of education and the annual review of their Education, Health and Care Plan is delayed, they must consider if the Council needs to arrange the special educational provision in the child or young person's Plan in the meantime, and keep suitable records of that decision.

  • London Borough of Bromley (24 001 796)

    Category: Education Date: 04-Nov-2024

    Summary

    Ms X complained about the Council’s decision to suspend her child, Y, from school transport. The Council accepts it should not have suspended Y and failed to consult Ms X. The Council has agreed to make a payment to Ms X and train its staff to prevent a recurrence of its mistake.

    Service improvements

    The Council agreed to provide the Ombudsman with evidence of the training it has delivered to its Spedical Educational Needs (SEN) Transport Team to ensure it follows its processes when considering any suspensions from its SEN transport in future.

  • London Borough of Bromley (24 001 450)

    Category: Education Date: 16-Jan-2025

    Summary

    Miss X complains the Council did not properly review her child D’s Education, Health, and Care Plan and ensure it was suitable for them. There was fault by the Council which caused avoidable distress to D and Miss X, and uncertainty about what special educational needs provision D may have missed. The Council agreed to apologise, agrees a dated action plan with Miss X of next steps for updates to D’s Education, Health, and Care Plan, and pay a financial remedy. It will also make an action plan of how it will avoid recurrence of the same faults and report this to its SEND Governance Board for monitoring.

    Service improvements

    The Council agreed to review six cases from 2023 and 2024 where we found similar fault with Education, Health, and Care Plan timescales, and recommended reminders to its staff. It will:produce a dated action plan of how it will avoid recurrence of the same faults by making changes to practice and procedure or staff training; and report this review outcome and action plan to its Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Governance Board so it can decide how progress against the plan should be monitored.

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