Mother gets £18k for son's missed school years

The family of a child with special needs who did not attend school for two years because of council delays has been awarded more than £18,000.

A report published by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) said the boy missed out on his education because of delays at Kent County Council (KCC) in amending his Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).

According to the report, the boy's mother said he "used to enjoy going to school and being outdoors, but he will no longer leave the house".

The council apologised to the family and made a "symbolic payment" of £16,400 and a further £2,000 to B's next of kin to "acknowledge the impact" on them.

The report details how the boy was out of school for more than a year before KCC began the search for tutors to provide alternative education.

"He should have had a special school place", the report said.

The boy's mother told the LGSCO that she has looked after him at home for almost two years while he has been out of school, during which his "condition has worsened", according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

"This has [had] a significant impact on family life," the LGSCO said.

In March 2023, the government issued an improvement notice to KCC.

Rory Love, KCC's cabinet member for education, acknowledged that lessons were to be learned from this case, but said: "I think there has been an absolute turnaround in the culture within the service since this time."

A spokesperson from KCC said: "The case in question relates to a period of time before Kent embarked on its transformation of SEND services and support.

"The decision to award payments in respect of services failures is based on recommendations by the LGSCO."

The family has since moved away from Kent.

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