Slough Borough CouncilA council ought to pay £6,500 in compensation to an autistic youngster and their mom for failing to offer particular academic provision (SEP), an ombudsman has discovered.
The Native Authorities and Social Care Ombudsman mentioned Slough Borough Council was at fault within the case of the kid, referred to as Youngster Y, and the mom, Ms X, and will apologise.
The ombudsman additionally mentioned the authority’s criticism dealing with brought on “avoidable misery and time and bother”.
The council apologised and mentioned it sincerely regretted its “shortcomings”.
The ombudsman mentioned it had failed to offer Y’s training, well being and care plan between September 2023 and July 2024.
The kid was dwelling schooled by the mom from June 2022 to September 2023, however was then because of switch to a secondary faculty as a part of a council training, well being and care (EHC) plan.
However the mom informed the council’s SEND (particular academic wants and disabilities) group that the college couldn’t meet Y’s wants.
The council mentioned the state of affairs could be reviewed in October and that Ms X’s most well-liked faculty had no accessible locations, however in the long run she didn’t ship her youngster to the advisable faculty.
Months of complaints from Ms X and correspondence between the related establishments continued till the next Summer season.
The ombudsman discovered that the council didn’t safe the training as a part of its care plan and brought on Ms X “confusion and frustration” due to its “poor criticism response”.
The report mentioned the authority ought to “treatment the injustice” with a cost of £6,000 to replicate Y’s misplaced SEP, and certainly one of £500 to Ms X to replicate her “avoidable misery and time and bother complaining”.
In an announcement a council spokeswoman mentioned: “Whereas various tuition was supplied, we settle for it didn’t absolutely meet the necessities of Y’s EHC plan.
“We’re happy to notice that Y has been attending particular faculty placement since September 2024.”
She mentioned a “nice deal of enhancements and growth” had taken place within the final 18 months, and because the failings on this case the council had taken “corrective motion”, and made extra permitted tuition suppliers accessible “to make sure well timed supply of assist”.
It had additionally “improved readability” in its criticism processes, and was “dedicated to bettering providers for kids with EHC plans”.
The council was beforehand ordered to pay a mom £9,400 after her autistic son was disadvantaged of training for greater than a 12 months.
