Bucks mums paid for council's special needs delays

One of the women received an apology and £550 in compensation from Buckinghamshire Council for delays. Known only as Mrs X, she said the authority failed to arrange an educational psychologist assessment for her child Y six months after agreeing to one. The council accepted it had delayed completing Y's needs assessment, which would have helped decide whether the child needed an education, health and care plan (EHCP).

EHCPS are legal documents setting out the extra support child and young people with special educational needs (SEN) need in their educational setting. The council apologised to Mrs X and said the delay was caused by a shortage of educational psychologists (EPs) – which is a national problem. Mrs X said the delay harmed her child's education and caused the family 'avoidable distress', according to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, which upheld her.



.. Charlie Smith.