Council to pay £2,400 after SEND failings

The way the council handled the case caused "frustration", the LGO said

A council that failed to provide a girl with a suitable education, after she was unable to attend school because of anxiety, will pay out £2,400 in compensation.

The secondary school pupil missed out on alternative education between January and July 2024 after Dorset Council failings, an investigation by the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) found.

The LGO also discovered the council's record keeping was "poor" and it was unable to provide "clear, complete and contemporaneous" documents relating to the case.

Dorset Council's executive director for children's services, Paul Dempsey, said the authority was "saddened" that things had gone wrong and accepted the LGO's recommendations.

The investigation found the girl's mother was also impacted as she could not go to work because she had to look after her daughter.

It recommended the girl's mother be given £2,100 in recognition of the alternative provision missed between January and July 2024, and be used for the girl's benefit.

The mother herself will receive £300 from the council as recognition of the "uncertainty, frustration and distress" its faults had on her.

"At Dorset Council, supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is a responsibility we hold with the utmost care," Mr Dempsey said.

"Every child has the right to an education and a setting where they can thrive, and we're saddened that this hasn't happened this time.

"In this instance, we have accepted the recommendations and are committed to making changes."

He said the authority was "committed to continuing to develop and improve our practice to ensure that this doesn't happen in future".

"The findings of our recent Ofsted SEND Local Area inspection showed that typically, families in Dorset have a positive experience, and we are making continuous improvements until this is the case for every family," he added.