Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council (21 017 943)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 15-May-2023

Summary: Mrs B complains the Council did not deal with her daughter’s education properly. The Council did not consider the provision of alternative education, failed to ensure Special Educational Needs (SEN) provision was made and did not fulfil its responsibilities regarding an annual review. Mrs B suffered avoidable distress and had to go to avoidable time and trouble. C missed educational and SEN provision. The Council has agreed to apologise, pay Mrs B £2,550, pay Mrs B £100 for avoidable distress and time and trouble, provide guidance to staff and provide a report to the Ombudsman.

Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council (22 001 540)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 21-May-2023

Summary: Mrs B complains the Council did not deal with her daughter D’s education properly. The Council did not properly consider the provision of alternative education and did not deal with Mrs B’s complaints properly. D missed education provision and Mrs B had to go to time and trouble complaining three times. The Council has agreed to apologise, pay Mrs B £1,800 for D’s lost education provision, pay Mrs B £100 for avoidable time and trouble and provide guidance to staff.

Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council (22 016 805)

Statement Upheld Other 04-Jun-2023

Summary: Ms X complained the Council shared information about her noise complaint with the perpetrator, resulting in increased noise and distress. Further, it delayed addressing her complaint. We found the Council at fault. We recommended it pays Ms X £100 for distress, £100 for time and trouble and writes to Ms X explaining its delay and any action to prevent recurrence.

Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council (22 011 832)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 06-Jun-2023

Summary: Ms X complained the Council failed to communicate its decision on her child’s Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan following an annual review. The Council has acknowledged it is at fault and it has agreed to our recommendations to remedy the injustice caused to Ms X and her child. The Council has also agreed to make service improvements.

Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council (22 013 875)

Statement Upheld Alternative provision 20-Jun-2023

Summary: Ms X complained the Council failed to provide any education for their child for 13 and a half weeks following exclusion from school. Ms X also complained their child missed free school meals during this time. Ms X also complained the Council failed to secure provision from their child’s EHC Plan. We found fault with the Council failing to provide education to Ms X’s child, failing to provide any funding for free school meals and delays in the EHC Plan process. The Council agreed to apologise to Ms X and pay her £100 for the distress, inconvenience and frustration caused, £1,350 for Y’s missed education and £181.50 for Y’s missed free school meals.

Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council (22 013 229)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 12-Oct-2023

Summary: Mrs X complains the Council unreasonably delayed amending Child Y’s EHCP on separate occasions. She complains this meant Child Y did not have access to the provision they were entitled to. The Ombudsman finds fault with the Council for delaying the decision to amend the EHCP, and for delaying issuing the EHCP on two occasions. The Ombudsman also finds fault with the Council for failing to deliver the agreed provision. The Council has agreed to pay a financial remedy for the delay and lost provision.

Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council (23 001 803)

Statement Upheld Charging 08-Nov-2023

Summary: The Council acknowledges it delayed for some time in issuing an invoice to Mr X for Mrs X’s care due to an error in its system; however, there is ample evidence the Council had explained charges would be made. The Council has offered a payment plan and will also offer the sum of £500 in recognition of the distress caused by its errors.

Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council (23 001 242)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 12-Dec-2023

Summary: Mr B complained the Council did not secure the provision in his son’s, education, health, and care plan, delayed issuing a final plan, and did not tell him about his son’s personal budget. Mr B said C missed provision and this impacted his health and his behaviour. We found the Council delayed the education, health, and care plan review process and did not secure the physiotherapy provision in C’s plan. The Council will make a financial payment to Mr B to remedy the injustice to him and his son and make service improvements.

Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council (23 002 105)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 12-Jan-2024

Summary: Miss X complains the Council have not dealt properly with her daughter Y’s special educational needs. The Council is at fault because is delayed issuing Y’s EHCP. It delayed Y's personal budget and did not make reasonable adjustments for Miss X. Miss X and Y suffered avoidable distress. Y suffered loss of SEN provision. The Council should pay Miss X and Y £250 each for distress, pay Miss X £1,800 for missed SEN provision, produce an action plan and review policy.

Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council (23 002 103)

Statement Upheld Special educational needs 12-Jan-2024

Summary: Miss X complains the Council have not dealt properly with her daughter Y’s special educational needs. The Council is at fault because is delayed issuing Y’s EHCP. It delayed Y's personal budget and did not make reasonable adjustments for Miss X. Miss X and Y suffered avoidable distress. Y suffered loss of SEN provision. The Council should pay Miss X and Y £250 each for distress, pay Miss X £1,800 for missed SEN provision, produce an action plan and review policy.