Getty ImagesA teenager with Down syndrome and autism was left without proper education for more than a year, an investigation has found.
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGO) said the man moved to Oxfordshire, about 200 miles from his previous home, with his mother in September 2023.
But by November 2024, he had not been given a suitable place and his mother said he had spent around £10,000 on alternative care in that time.
A spokesman for Oxfordshire County Council said it was “committed to providing the best education and support for every young person”.
The LGO’s investigation revealed that the man’s mother had complained to the authority in November 2023 after his failure to attend school.
At the time, the council acknowledged that its consultation with potential new appointments was taking longer than expected.
The mother complained again in January 2024, saying the case had left her son “bored and marginalized”. The council apologized.
As of August 2024 – when the man is out of school for an entire school year – the council said it had found a place for him but did not know when it would be approved by the panel.
In November 2024, when Mother’s LGO complaint was settled, Mother said it was still unclear when the placement would be resolved.
The LGO said the council accepted its communication with the mother “was not up to standard”.
The council was asked to pay the man £3,500 to recognize the injustice he had caused and to pay his mother £500 to recognize her distress.
It was also asked to pay £500 for every other half-term the man missed.
A spokesman for Oxfordshire County Council said: “We are committed to providing the best education and support for every young person in Oxfordshire and have agreed a procedure with the Local Government Ombudsman for this particular case.
“The national average for completing EHCPs (Education, Health and Care Plans) within 20 weeks was 50.3% in 2023 (latest available figures). Oxfordshire County Council’s figure for May 2024 was 57.9%. This is up from 4% in January 2023.”
The man and his mother received the report in November but it was published on Thursday.