Ombudsman finds council’s actions led to boy missing six months of education

Article summary

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has announced that the actions of Central Bedfordshire Council led to a boy missing half a year’s worth of education. The council did not provide proper alternative education when the boy could not attend primary school, due to behavioural difficulties, and did not offer extra support upon hearing that the boy was diagnosed with an autistic spectrum condition and related anxiety. The boy stopped attending school in November 2018, and the council declined the family’s Education, Health and Care (EHC) needs assessment request as it said it was looking to reintegrate the boy into his mainstream primary school. Part-time alternative education was provided in September 2019 and an EHC assessment was agreed upon in February 2020 and issued in August 2020.