Buckinghamshire Council (24 018 549)

Statement Upheld Alternative provision 01-Dec-2025

Summary: Mrs X complained about the Council’s delays during the Education, Health and Care needs assessment process for her son. She also complained the Council failed to provide her son with suitable alternative provision. We find the Council was at fault for its delay in issuing Mrs X’s son’s Education, Health and Care Plan. It was also at fault for how it handled Mrs X’s son’s alternative provision. These faults caused Mrs X frustration and uncertainty, and Mrs X’s son missed out on provision. The Council has agreed to apologise to Mrs X and make payments to her.

Staffordshire County Council (25 009 660)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Alternative provision 29-Nov-2025

Summary: We will not investigate this complaint that the Council failed to make appropriate educational provision for the complainant’s child. This is because the complaint concerns matters about which the complainant had the right to appeal to the First-tier Tribunal (Special Educational Needs and Disability) or are closely related to such matters, and it was reasonable for her to do so.

Derbyshire County Council (24 015 560)

Statement Upheld Alternative provision 28-Nov-2025

Summary: The Council has acknowledged that it took too long to issue a final Education Health and Care Plan for K, and to review the Plan. It also has acknowledged that it did not communicate with K’s mother, Ms X properly, or always deal with her complaints in good time. I have found that the Council also failed to properly consider its duty to make alternative educational provision when K could not go to school. The Council has agreed to apologise to Ms X and to K, and make a further symbolic payment in recognition of the impact on them of the further fault.

City of Doncaster Council (24 020 034)

Statement Upheld Alternative provision 28-Nov-2025

Summary: Mrs X complained the Council refused to provide section 19 alternative provision for her son, Y, who could not attend school for medical reasons. As a result, Y had no educational provision. We found the Council was at fault for the advice it gave Mrs X and the way it explained its decision. However, we did not find this caused significant injustice to Y as the fault did not affect the Council’s decision.

East Sussex County Council (24 021 493)

Statement Not upheld Alternative provision 28-Nov-2025

Summary: There was no fault in how the Council decided whether it had a duty to make alternative educational provision while Mrs B’s son, K, could not attend school. There was also no fault in how the Council decided what educational provision it should offer once it accepted that duty.

Leicestershire County Council (24 017 917)

Statement Upheld Alternative provision 27-Nov-2025

Summary: Mrs X complained the Council did not provide full time education suitable for her daughter’s needs when she could not attend school. We found the Council at fault for not putting in place provision it agreed her daughter needed, impacting on her educational progress. The Council has agreed to apologise and make a symbolic payment to recognise the injustice caused.

Cornwall Council (24 021 940)

Statement Upheld Alternative provision 27-Nov-2025

Summary: There was fault by the Council when it failed to make alternative educational provision for a child who could not attend school. The Council also took too long to issue a final EHC Plan. The Council’s failings meant that the child was without a suitable education, causing distress to the child and her mother. The Council has already made improvements to its service. It has agreed to apologise to both the mother and the child, and make a symbolic payment in recognition of the education missed.

Surrey County Council (25 001 188)

Statement Upheld Alternative provision 26-Nov-2025

Summary: Mrs B complained about the Council’s failure to provide alternative education for her son D who was not attending school. We found fault causing injustice. The Council has agreed to apologise to Mrs B and D and make a symbolic payment.

Telford & Wrekin Council (25 002 140)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Alternative provision 25-Nov-2025

Summary: We will not investigate part of Mrs X’s and Mr Y’s complaint about the Council’s failure to secure an education for their child or the content of their EHC Plan because it is late. We will not investigate part of the complaint because Mrs X and Mr Y had a right to appeal to a tribunal. We cannot investigate part of the complaint because Mrs X and Mr Y appealed to a tribunal. We will not investigate the remainder because there is no worthwhile outcome.

London Borough of Bromley (25 007 084)

Statement Closed after initial enquiries Alternative provision 24-Nov-2025

Summary: We cannot investigate part of this complaint about the Council’s failure to organise full-time education for Q because the complainants appealed to a tribunal and the law says we cannot investigate. We will not investigate the remainder because the claimed injustice is not significant enough to warrant our involvement.