West Sussex County Council has paid £2,800 to a father after taking 14 months to issue an Education, Health & Care Plan for his daughter.
A report from the Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman stated that the Plan – which detailed what special support the girl needed at school – should have been finalised by August 2023. But it was not in place until October 2024.
A major issue for the council was the ongoing shortage of educational psychologists, who play a vital role in caring out the assessments – a situation the authority is working to address.
After reviewing the complaint, the Ombudsman ruled that the council should pay the father £1,400 – £100 per month – for the impact its delayed handling of the Education, Health and Care needs assessment process had had on him and his daughter.
It added that another £1,200 should be paid due to issues between October 2024 and March 2025, when the girl was ‘unfit to attend school’.
The report said the council didn’t properly consider and put in place alternative provision for around two terms, meaning she missed out on the help included in her Education, Health & Care Plan.
On top of this, the council accepted that it had ‘communicated poorly’ with the father throughout the process, and agreed to pay another £200 to acknowledge the ‘unnecessary distress and uncertainty he experienced’.
A council spokesman said: “We acknowledge the Ombudsman’s findings regarding delays in the Education, Health and Care needs assessment process, educational provision and communication with the family.
“We have agreed a financial remedy to recognise the impact on the complainant and their child, including lost educational provision and the distress and uncertainty caused.
“We continue to work to improve the timeliness and communication of our SEND services.”
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