Child misses six school terms after council delays

A council has been ordered to pay £12,650 to a mother whose child whose missed six terms of education.

The unnamed child, with "complex needs", was at a mainstream school but was struggling to attend, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman said.

Slough Borough Council was slow to make an alternative Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan and initially said the school remained suitable, the ombudsman added.

The authority said it would apologise and offer home tutoring instead.

The ombudsman's ruling found fault with the council for failing to issue an EHC plan or respond to complaints on time.

It said the child was "hardly attending school" by March 2024 but the council did not issue a new plan until four months later.

When the mother complained that the plan involved the same school, the authority did not apparently respond until January 2025, the report said.

The ombudsman frequently upholds complaints about delayed EHC plans involving councils across England and awards compensation.

However, the £12,650 award, reflecting six missed terms and distress to the mother, is unusually large.