The family of a girl with special educational needs (SEN) has been paid £1,700 after Wokingham Borough Council did not secure her the right schooling.
The child was in a mainstream school that didn’t have the resources to support her for nearly one academic year, an investigation by the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) found.
The watchdog ruled that the authority didn’t act on information that she was struggling quickly enough, and that its lack of communication with the mother caused ‘a great deal of frustration’.
Councils have the legal obligation to provide children with the right education, with the first step for those with special needs being an education and healthcare plan (EHCP).
The mother of the child, referred to as Mrs X, complained that her daughter’s ECHP, which contained the school she was attending in December 2022, wasn’t right.
The plan was subject to annual review in March 2023, but the council made no changes, despite being made aware that the school was struggling to meet Y’s needs.
After Mrs X raised her concerns, a senior caseworker then said changes would be made to reflect this at a meeting in March 2023.
It was then taken to a panel, who decided to consult with a new school, but the school said that it could not accept placements for year 11, which Y would be entering.
In September, Mrs X complained to the council about the lack of communication and requested her daughter’s final EHCP to be issued.
In October, the council apologised for the delay and shortfall in communication and said a review where Y’s plan and placement for year 12 could be discussed.
It was then revealed that the final plan was sent months before in April 2023, even though it had been communicated that it was not complete.
Various amendments were made to the plan before it was finally issued in July 2024, around when Y was at the end of year 11. This included a placement at a suitable college.
The LGO found that Mrs X was not informed of two panels in which Y’s education was to be discussed.
Because her school could not support Y, Mrs X arranged maths and English tuition due to the council’s actions.
Mrs X experienced ‘significant time and trouble’ chasing council officers which caused a ‘great deal of frustration’, the LGO ruled.
Wokingham Borough Council was ordered to pay a total of £1,700 to the family, of which £1,000 covered the loss of provision, £200 for frustration and uncertainty in issuing the final plan, and £500 for the ‘avoidable stress’.
