West Sussex County Council pays £1,000 to a woman for taking ten months to complete care plan for her daughter

The Plan – which sets out what support the child, known as Y, should be receiving at school – had its annual review on June 22 2023 and the paperwork was sent to the council on July 10 2023.

A report from the Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman said the council should have completed the paperwork within 12 weeks but missed the deadline.

Despite a number of enquiries and complaints from the mother – known as Mrs X – it wasn’t until July 12 2024 that the Plan was finally issued.

The Ombudsman’s report said: “The delays caused uncertainty and distress for Y and Mrs X and delayed Mrs X’s right to appeal to the tribunal.

“The delays also created uncertainty around whether Y was missing out on special educational provision she would have been entitled to between September 2023 and July 2024. This is injustice.”

The council has since reconfigured its Special Educational Needs and Assessment Team to ensure annual reviews are completed within the statutory time-scales.

The Ombudsman added: “I find this is suitable to address any ongoing issues, however it does not address the personal injustice to Y and Mrs X.”

The council agreed to pay Mrs X £1,000 in recognition of the distress, frustration and uncertainty caused by its failure to complete the Plan on time.

A council spokesman said: “We accept the Ombudsman’s findings and have apologised to the family involved. We have made the recommended payment to the complainant in recognition of the frustration this has caused.”