Suffolk County Council (22 011 208)

Statement Upheld Alternative provision 16-Apr-2023

Summary: Ms X complains that the Council failed to put in place alternative education for her son, C, when he was out of education and delayed in backdating his personal budget. We found the Council was at fault in that it delayed in completing an education, health and care needs assessment for C and in issuing a draft education, health and care plan. It also failed to put in place alternative provision between September and November 2022. However, the Council has provided a satisfactory remedy for the injustice caused.

Suffolk County Council (21 017 023)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 16-Apr-2023

Summary: The Council was at fault for not providing Y with education in line with his Education, Health and Care plan from September 2021 to 21 February 2022. The Council has agreed to remedy to our recommendations to remedy the injustice caused by the fault.

Suffolk County Council (21 018 600)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 16-Apr-2023

Summary: Mrs X complains the Council failed to arrange an annual review of her son’s Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan. The evidence shows the Council delayed arranging the annual review by 20 weeks. This is fault. The Council has agreed to our recommendations to remedy the injustice caused by the faults.

Suffolk County Council (22 001 487)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 16-Apr-2023

Summary: Mrs B complained about delays and failures in assessing her son C’s special educational needs, providing him with suitable full-time education, arranging the special provision in his Education, Health and Care Plan, and issuing a final plan after a review. On the evidence available we found fault in the Council’s actions. We have asked the Council to pay Mrs B £2400 for the benefit of C’s education, £500 for her time and trouble, £295 for a private report she obtained and to provide evidence of how the major review of its service is progressing in terms of adherence to statutory timescales.

Suffolk County Council (22 009 797)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 27-Apr-2023

Summary: Mr D complained the Council failed to provide his son’s educational provision as set out in his Education, Health and Care Plan, and about how it handled his complaints. The Council agreed it failed to provide some education and provision for Mr D’s son and failed to respond to his complaint as set out in its Policy. We found some further fault by the Council and its offer was not enough to remedy the injustice the Council caused Mr D and his son. The Council agreed to apologise and make payment to Mr D remedy the injustice its faults caused.

Suffolk County Council (21 018 179)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 27-Apr-2023

Summary: Mr X complains the Council has failed to provide his son, Y, with the provision outlined in his Education, Health and Care plan. The Council has acknowledged it was at fault in securing the speech and language and occupational therapy. The Council has accepted our recommendations to remedy the injustice to Mr X and Y.

Suffolk County Council (22 012 561)

Statement Upheld Disabled facilities grants 02-May-2023

Summary: We have found fault as there was a delay in the Council’s assessment of Mr B’s eligibility for adaptations to his property. The Council has agreed to apologise to Mr B and pay him £250.

Suffolk County Council (22 011 419)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 21-May-2023

Summary: The Council delayed identifying a suitable specialist school placement for Mrs B’s son which affected the provision he could receive, delayed issuing a final education, health and care plan following a review and failed to keep Mrs B up-to-date with what was happening. An apology, payment to Mrs B and reminder to officers is satisfactory remedy.

Suffolk County Council (22 007 761)

Statement Upheld Other 24-May-2023

Summary: Miss X complained about the remedy offered by the Council after it upheld some of her complaints about the way its children’s services team imposed a child protection plan. The Council was at fault for failing to properly consider Miss X’s circumstances when it offered a remedy payment for distress. The Council agreed to offer an improved remedy payment.

Suffolk County Council (22 007 108)

Statement Upheld Other 25-May-2023

Summary: Miss F complained the Council has failed to provide adequate respite provision for her son who is a child in need. She also says the Council significantly delayed responding to her complaint and it has failed to provide an appropriate remedy for her and her son’s injustice. We find fault with how the Council dealt with the respite provision and for its delays in responding to Miss F’s complaint. The Council apologised to Miss F and offered her a suitable financial remedy. This is a sufficient for her and her son’s personal injustice. The Council agreed to implement service improvements when it considered Miss F’s complaint, which it has agreed to evidence. It has also agreed to our further recommendation to make another service improvement to address the significant delays during the statutory complaints procedure.