Mum of vulnerable Cambridgeshire boy without education 'ignored'

Cambridgeshire County Council said it had learnt lessons over the case

The mother of a clinically vulnerable boy who has had no formal education since September 2020 said she had been "ignored and misled".

An ombudsman previously criticised Cambridgeshire County Council over the schooling of the nine-year-old, who has complex special educational needs.

On Tuesday, the council's Children and Young People Committee heard the issue had still not been resolved.

The authority offered "sincere apologies" to the family.

The boy, whose needs include severe neuro-disabilities and speech and language delay, could not attend school during the pandemic on the advice of his GP.

In April, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman found "fault causing injustice" and recommended the Lib Dem, Labour, and independent coalition-led council apologised to the boy's family.

His case was discussed at a meeting of the county council's Children and Young People Committee on Tuesday, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

The meeting heard the boy has still not been given full-time education.

'Ignored and misled'

A statement from the mum of the boy, who has been kept anonymous, was read out to the committee.

It said: "We feel we have been ignored and misled. This is not a few bumps in the road this has been a prolonged and sustained process over a period of three years.

"The actions and inactions of the council have surmounted in my view, and I do not use these words lightly, to a form of persecution and bullying.

"Twelve weeks have passed since the report was issued and still [full-time education] has not been put in place."

The ombudsman said the county council's "poor" response to its investigation was a "major concern"

Jonathan Lewis, the director of education at the council, said "lessons had been learned" and that a range of training and new processes were being put in place to "ensure there is no recurrence" of what happened.

He said the council was still in dialogue with the family to resolve those issues, but that he could not offer details.

Mr Lewis added that this was a very "specific case" and said he was not aware of any other cases that "mirrored" this one.

Lucy Nethsingha, leader of the council, said it was a "very serious case" and that it was "very good to see the council taking it seriously".