Council’s Failures Led to Special Needs Child Missing School for Over a Year

An ombudsman reported that a special needs child in care was deprived of a year and a half of schooling due to a council’s inability to secure an appropriate educational placement. Worcestershire Children First, which is under the ownership of Worcestershire County Council, required over a year to revise the child’s education, health and care plan (EHCP). The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGO) affirmed a grievance lodged against the council, stating that it demonstrated a “poor grasp of the SEND system”. In response, Worcestershire County Council committed to compensating £11,060 for the child’s lost schooling and issuing an apology to the child’s caregiver. The child, residing with a relative under a kinship care arrangement, could not attend a mainstream school due to inadequate support for their educational and behavioural requirements. The LGO also noted that the child did not receive necessary therapy for over two years. The ombudsman indicated that the search for a new school for the child was protracted due to an insufficient comprehension of the EHCP procedure. According to an ombudsman’s declaration, the council spent over a year revising the child’s EHCP. Throughout this timeframe, when inquiring about placements at special schools, the council presented an outdated account of the child’s requirements, leading schools to base admission decisions on incorrect data. The LGO stated: “The council failed to keep the child’s carer informed throughout the process, and failed to ask for her views on the plans, despite the law defining her as a parent for these purposes.” The prolonged lack of support for the child’s needs led to a deterioration in their emotional wellbeing at home, making it difficult for them to leave the house. “The child became distressed and isolated from their peers and this had a great impact on their relationship with their carer and the carer’s own mental health, who admitted the placement was at risk of breaking down.” The council has committed to re-evaluating the staff training programs to guarantee they address the issues highlighted in the Ombudsman’s report. Councillor David Chambers, who serves as the cabinet member for education at Worcestershire County Council, commented: “The council take all complaints, as well as investigations and findings from the Local Government Ombudsman, very seriously.“We would like to apologise to the family involved in this case. We fully accept the recommendations of the report. “Training provided under our SEND improvement plan will be reviewed to ensure improved practices can be taken forward.”” For updates, follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X, and Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the material found on external websites. Information regarding our policy on external links is available.