(UK) Herts: Council pays $5K for special needs student out of school for 6 mo.s

June 6, 2025, BishopsStortford: Hertfordshire County Council to pay £3,700 [$5,000] for child with special educational needs after ombudsman steps in

E. England

Hertfordshire County Council has agreed to pay the parent of a child with special educational needs £3,700.

The compensation follows a complaint about the time taken to finalise the youngster’s Education, Health and Care (EHC) assessment.

The parent asked the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) to intervene.

She also complained that after her child was excluded from school, the council had failed to put in place any alternative educational provision for more than six months.

In response to the complaint, a report published by the LGSCO suggests that the council failed to show it had provided education for the child between January and July 2024.

The report adds that the issue of a final Education, Health and Care Plan had been delayed by more than three months.

According to the LGSCO, the county council had already proposed a payment of £2,100 to recognise the missed education, and a further £200 for the time and trouble experienced.

However, the LGSCO said the compensation for missed education should be increased to £3,200 – equivalent to £1,600 per term.

In addition to the £200 for time and trouble, the LGSCO suggested a further payment of £300 to recognise the “distress” caused by the delay in issuing the final EHCP.

In total, that means the council has now agreed to pay the parent £3,700.

The LGSCO says that “to its credit”, the council has agreed to resolve the complaint and to award the payments within a month of the decision.

A spokesperson for Hertfordshire County Council said: “We acknowledge the findings of the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) when a ruling is made against the council. . . .

The process – from the request for an assessment to the issuing of an EHCP – should take no longer than 20 weeks.