West Sussex County Council has paid out £15,200 after complaints about its handling of two Education, Health & Care Plans were upheld.
Two mothers complained to the Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman about problems with the Plans for their sons, both of whom have additional needs.
The Ombudsman found the council to be at fault for failing to issue the Plans within the required time-frame, delays in completing annual reviews, failing to provide the education provision set out in the Plans, and poor communication and complaint handling.
The authority also failed to identify a post-16 placement for one of the boys within the required time-frames.
Like many authorities all over the country, the council has been swamped with an increased demand for assessment and Plans, meaning it has already paid out on more than few complaints from other parents.
The two boys were among 8,000 Plans being dealt with at the time, though a recruitment campaign and department restructure have helped to improve matters.
But the Ombudsman said the situation had caused the mothers and sons ‘frustration, distress and uncertainty’.
While the council had offered £100 to each mother in recognition of the delay in dealing with their complaints, the situation cost the authority much more.
The first mother received £6,000 on behalf of her son – £1,500 for each of the four terms of school he missed – along with payments totalling £850 to recognise the frustration, distress and uncertainty caused.
The second received £7,600 on behalf of her son – £1,900 for each of the four terms of school he missed – and payments totalling £750 to recognise the frustration, distress and uncertainty caused.
A council spokesman said they accepted the Ombudsman’s findings and had apologised to the families and made the payments.
They added: “We are committed to improving how Education, Health and Care Plans are managed in West Sussex and are prioritising those with the greatest level of need.
“Despite the number of applications continuing to rise, we have still managed to complete 34 percent more EHCPs since September 2024 than we did in the same period last year.
“While we know there is more to do, our ongoing improvement journey has seen significant progress made in the delivery of our SEND services that will help ensure children and young people receive the right support to achieve their full potential.”
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