(UK) Hertfordshire: Council to pay $6.6K for failing to educate autistic boy for "more than a year"

Dec 3, 2021, Hemel Today: Hertfordshire County Council ordered to pay out almost £5000 [$6,600] to family by Ombudsman https://www.hemeltoday.co.uk/news/politics/council/hertfordshire-county-council-ordered-to-pay-out-almost-ps5000-to-family-by-ombudsman-3481847

Near London

An investigation by the Local Government Ombudsman has found the county council to be ‘at fault’ for failing to provide suitable education to a boy Hertfordshire County Council has agreed to pay-out £4,500 in recognition of its failure to provide a child with a suitable education for more than a year, following an investigation by the Local Government Ombudsman…. But an investigation by the Local Government Ombudsman has found the county council to be ‘at fault’ for failing to provide suitable education to a boy – who has special educational needs, including autism – following a stay in a mental health unit in 2018. The initial complaint – made by the boy’s mother, who is not identified in the report – highlighted how her son had ‘fallen further behind’ and how the situation had ‘affected the family relationship’ and caused ‘distress’. And in the report, the Ombudsman points to a series of failings that had resulted in the boy not receiving adequate education, between July 2019 and September 2020. Following his discharge from the unit, says the report, the unit had recommended the boy receive specialist autistic spectrum disorder educational provision, as well as there being support for the boy’s parents…. And – following a tutoring review in June 2019 – the report points to the county council’s failure to plan a weekly timetable for the boy to take place outside the home. In November 2019 the boy’s parents and the council also visited an independent specialist school, but the family did not think it was suitable. And in the following February, the tuition sessions from ESMA were put on hold, with the council saying the boy was no longer engaging with the ESMA teacher. It was at this stage that the boy’s mum lodged a formal complaint – pointing to failings in the education provision and a lack of support for the family. The Ombudsman notes that there were review meetings in late 2019 and 2020 – but suggests that they did not put in place a reintegration programme or discuss suggestions such as small group teaching to get him back at school. During 2019 and most of 2020 the report says he was ‘only receiving two hours of home tutoring per week and not receiving the provision listed in his EHC plan’. And he says, ‘this is fault’…. In response to the Ombudsan’s findings, a Hertfordshire County Council spokesperson said: “We take the Ombudsman’s findings very seriously and where they find we have been at fault, we work hard to understand why it happened, how we can put it right and how we can prevent it happening again.” “Following this investigation, Hertfordshire County Council recognise and apologise for the difficulties faced by this family.”