Council to pay £7,900 after special needs failures

The child - not pictured - missed out on months of education, the investigation found

A family whose child missed out on four terms of education and other support after council failures will be paid £7,900 in compensation.

Oxfordshire County Council was told by the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) to pay the money after the child, who has special needs, missed education between June 2023 and October 2024.

The authority has also been told to review another 13 cases over the past two years where the LGO found problems with how children were provided with alternative education.

A council spokesperson said it was "committed to providing the best education and support for every young person in Oxfordshire".

They added the authority has "agreed a course of action with the LGO for this particular case."

The LGO investigation concluded the council should pay £7,500 in recognition of the four missed terms of education and support that was not provided.

The child missed out on that support between November 2023 and October 2024.

The family will also receive another £400 in compensation in recognition of the "avoidable distress" caused.