Surrey County Council has awarded £4,500 to a student who received only one hour of education per week over two terms. This payout follows a ruling from the local government ombudsman, which found the council at fault for not providing adequate educational support to the child while he was out of school.
The council is now required to develop an action plan to prevent similar issues in the future and ensure proper special educational needs support for students who cannot attend school.
The report revealed that the boy was expelled from his school in November 2022. However, it wasn’t until September 2023 that the council arranged a full-time educational placement for him. The child was also supposed to receive personalized speech and language therapy, but this was not provided as expected.
In the interim, the council referred the child to a short-term home education service starting in January 2023. According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, this service fell short of the full-time education the council was obligated to provide.
Council leader Tim Oliver acknowledged the council’s shortcomings and apologized for any distress caused. He noted that the council is aware of its past failings and is committed to improving the quality of support for children with additional needs and disabilities.
Oliver assured that the council is working diligently to enhance its services. The most recent Ofsted inspection recognized progress in this area. “We are determined to continue improving services and outcomes for children with additional needs so that they can be happy, healthy, safe, and confident about their future,” he said.