The family of an autistic child will receive compensation after a council has been accused of causing “irreparable damage" due to delays in his education. The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman said delays in reviewing a specialised education plan for the pupil’s needs had caused his parents “considerable distress”.
Leeds City Council, which also accepted “failures” in its communication with the family, have been ordered to pay £300 in compensation. The local authority said it was “already taking action” to eliminate delays in the system.
The Ombudsman’s report told how the anonymous pupil, who has an autistic spectrum disorder and other educational needs, did not return to primary school after the first Covid lockdown in 2020. His mum was concerned about him returning to school because an underlying health condition made him vulnerable, but she “had also come to believe the school could not cater for him”, the report said.
