City councils are not implementing an appropriate alternative education for the growing number of children in England who are unable to attend school due to social anxiety, according to a report by the local government ombudsman.
Many have complex special educational needs and cannot go to school because there are no suitable places available in their area, which means they can spend months and even years without any suitable alternative, according to the report .
In one case, an autistic child with extreme anxiety who was unable to attend his normal school received only five hours a week of online class in English and math for a year, regardless of how he might study for the rest of his school year. GSCE. subjects.
In another example, a teenager was nearly 14 months without a school place, or adequate alternative education, after moving to a mid-term area, at a time when she should also have prepared for her GCSEs. .
Parents have a duty to ensure that their children receive a proper and full-time education. According to the law, however, when children do not go to school due to illness, exclusion, or other reasons, councils are required to evaluate and take steps to provide appropriate alternative education when needed.
Local government and social care ombudsman Michael King warned that children were being robbed of their potential to thrive because councils were not properly fulfilling their responsibilities. Last year, the Catalan Ombudsman confirmed 89% of investigations into complaints on this issue.
“We know that creating an alternative education as soon as possible is crucial to ensuring that children are not left behind by their peers, but we see examples of councils trying to have a good time, saying it is the responsibility of the school, ”King said.
“Parents need to know that this is not right. City councils have a legal obligation to properly consider what alternative education is offered when a child is unable to attend school, and it should be appropriate for the child, not a child. symbolic gesture of minimum hours “.
In a separate case highlighted by the ombudsman, a mother filed a complaint against Dorset City Council after her son, who has special educational needs, lost his education for almost two years.
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The child, who has Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Autism Traits, was unable to go to school due to high levels of stress and anxiety. The trustee found that the council did not offer him adequate alternative education and social support between February 2020 and November 2021. The family has received compensation of £ 8,800.
“I’m glad the Dorset council has easily accepted the recommendations I made to fix things in this case,” King said. “I hope the changes he will make in the way he monitors children outside of school and the services he provides them, will ensure that other children do not look disadvantaged like this child.”
Cllr Andrew Parry, holder of the portfolio for children, education, skills and early help at Dorset council, apologized for the council’s mistakes. “We have taken these issues seriously and made a number of changes to our services so that other families do not have to go through the same experience.”
A spokesman for the Association of Local Governments, which represents more than 300 English local authorities, said: “Councils are committed to working with parents and carers to ensure their children attend a school where they receive the best possible support and education and do everything they can to achieve this, within the budgets made available by the government ”.
A spokesman for the Department of Education said: “Local authorities are responsible for ensuring that there are enough school places for all children in their area, and we have increased funding with high needs for them to 9.1 billion. of pounds sterling next year, to help them meet the needs of children with special educational needs and disabilities.We encourage them to work in partnership with parents and local partners so that the right offer is available for all children “.