Harrow Council has been ordered to pay £800 in compensation and issue an apology after administrative failures left a child without a school or college place for several months, according to a Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) report.
The case, detailed in the LGO report, concerns a North London mother, referred to as Miss X, and her child, referred to as Y. Miss X raised concerns about the quality of the secondary school Y was attending and requested an emergency review of Y's education, health and care plan (EHCP) in June 2023, stating she no longer wanted Y to continue at the same school for their final academic year.
Key Stage Transfer Review Missed Legal Deadline
The council failed to complete a key stage transfer review of Y's EHCP by the legal deadline, which the Ombudsman found was a fault. Y was due to start post-16 education in September 2024, and discussions about options began with Miss X in December 2023. However, by May 2024, Harrow Council accepted it had not found a placement for Y.
In July 2024, the council issued a draft amended EHCP and continued searching for a suitable placement. When September 2024 arrived, Y still had no school or college place. Miss X began paying for activities she felt were necessary for Y's learning and requested that the council provide English and maths tuition.
Delays in Providing Tuition and Support
Following a new Educational Psychologist (EP) assessment, the council agreed to provide English and maths tuition but refused to fund the other activities, stating there was "no evidence Y needed them." In January 2025, Miss X complained that Y was still not receiving the tuition. In February 2025, the council finally sent details of tuition providers and agreed to fund the activities, backdated to September 2024. An amended EHCP was issued in March 2025.
The Ombudsman determined that the council did not amend the EHCP to name a post-16 setting by the legal deadline of March 31, 2024, and denied Miss X the opportunity to appeal the decision. However, the LGO noted it "cannot say this fault left Y without an educational placement in September 2024," as Miss X had removed Y from the school before that date due to concerns about its ability to meet Y's needs.
Council Apologises and Pays Compensation
The Ombudsman also found that the council delayed arranging suitable provision until February 2025, despite concerns first being raised in September 2024, and failed to provide Y with support they were entitled to under the EHCP, even while not attending school.
The council has been ordered to apologise to Miss X and Y "for the injustice caused" and to pay £800 in compensation. A spokesperson for Harrow Council said: "We accept the Ombudsman's findings and apologise for the faults identified. We have issued formal apologies and reviewed and strengthened our processes to ensure children and young people receive the support they need within statutory timescales and without delay."
The spokesperson added: "We remain committed to improving outcomes for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities and continue to improve our SEND services for families." The council's actions include process reviews aimed at preventing similar delays in the future.
