Southend-on-Sea City Council (24 017 502)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 23-Jun-2025

Summary: Miss X complained the Council delayed completing her child (Y’s) Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment in line with statutory timescales. This in turn caused a delay in issuing the EHC Plan. The Council was at fault. It failed to issue Y’s EHC Plan within the statutory timescales, caused in part by a delay in obtaining Educational Psychologist advice. The Council has agreed to make a payment to recognise the loss of provision and the distress, frustration and uncertainty caused.

Southend-on-Sea City Council (25 003 898)

Statement Upheld Other 26-Jun-2025

Summary: We will not investigate Ms X’s complaint about children services’ actions. We have upheld Ms X’s complaint as the Council has now agreed to follow the Children Act statutory complaints’ procedure and has agreed a proportionate way to resolve the complaint.

Southend-on-Sea City Council (25 001 141)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 06-Jul-2025

Summary: We will not investigate Mrs X’s complaint about the Council’s delays when issuing an ‘education, health and care plan’ for her child. This is because it is unlikely we could achieve significantly more than the symbolic payment the Council has offered Mrs X.

Southend-on-Sea City Council (24 013 861)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 23-Jul-2025

Summary: Miss X complained the Council delayed assessing her child’s needs and issuing their education, health and care plan. Miss X said this caused unnecessary and avoidable distress, anxiety and frustration. We find service failure and fault causing injustice. The Council will make a payment to remedy the injustice.

Southend-on-Sea City Council (24 020 028)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 29-Jul-2025

Summary: Miss X complained the Council failed to complete an Education, Health and Care needs assessment for her child, Y, within the statutory time limits. She complained the Council’s offer of a symbolic financial payment was not enough to remedy the injustice caused to her. We found the Council at fault for not completing the assessment within the statutory timescales. This fault caused injustice to Miss X. The Council has agreed to make a higher payment to recognise Miss X’s distress and make changes to improve its service.

Southend-on-Sea City Council (25 002 090)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 03-Aug-2025

Summary: We will not investigate Mr X’s complaint about delays in issuing his child’s final Education Health and Care Plan. This is because the Council agreed during our consideration of the complaint, to take action to remedy the injustice caused by delays in the procedure. There are no wider public interest issues to justify investigating this complaint.

Southend-on-Sea City Council (24 008 360)

Statement Upheld Alternative provision 13-Aug-2025

Summary: Mrs X complained that the Council failed to provide her daughter (Y) with suitable education when she could not attend her school and delayed Y’s Education Health and Care needs assessment. Mrs X also complained about the Council’s school attendance process. We found fault with the Council’s failure to comply with the statutory timescales for Education Health and Care needs assessments and with its complaint handling. The Council’s fault caused injustice to Y and Mrs X. The Council has agreed to apologise and make symbolic payments.

Southend-on-Sea City Council (25 003 219)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 31-Aug-2025

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint about the handling of Miss X’s request for an Education Health and Care needs assessment. This is because the Council has agreed a suitable remedy for the impact of its failures on Miss X and her son.

Southend-on-Sea City Council (25 001 667)

Statement Upheld Homelessness 07-Sep-2025

Summary: Ms D says the Council has provided unsuitable temporary accommodation. I have upheld the complaint. The Council has agreed to pay ongoing monthly redress payments until Ms D is suitably housed.

Southend-on-Sea City Council (24 018 625)

Statement Upheld Private housing 30-Oct-2025

Summary: The Council was not at fault for how it handled reports about the condition of Ms X’s property or for how it placed restrictions on her contact. The Council was at fault for how it handled some of her requests for re-housing. This meant Ms X had to wait longer than she should have to receive assistance. The Council agreed to apologise, make a payment to Ms X for the uncertainty she experienced as a result of the delays providing homeless assistance and carry out a service improvement.