The Nottinghamshire County Council has made payouts to parents of children with special educational needs due to long waits for assessments. The council had complaints upheld against it by the Ombudsman, resulting in payouts of at least £2,600. Inspectors previously found failings in services for children with special educational needs in Nottinghamshire.
Nottinghamshire County Council has paid out thousands to parents of children and young people with special educational needs amid waits of nearly a year for crucial assessments. The Conservative-led authority had six complaints upheld against it by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman in February, which have collectively resulted in payouts of at least £2,600.
A mum had requested an EHCP on behalf of her son, who has autism spectrum disorder, at the beginning of March 2023. The mum hoped this would be completed in time for her son starting school in September. SEND services in the county are the joint responsibility of Nottinghamshire County Council and the local Integrated Care Board , which work in partnership. A full reinspection of their services is due to take place in summer 2026 and, speaking at a meeting on Monday , the council's director of children's and families' services said progress was being made.
One of the key issues is a nationwide shortage of educational psychologists, with the partnership in Nottinghamshire previously saying that it can take up to six years for these specialists to be trained. Nigel Ellis, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman's chief exec, said on this issue earlier in the year: "Educational psychologists cannot be trained overnight and so this situation will not be resolved without significant input on a national scale...
Nottinghamshire County Council Special Educational Needs Assessments Complaints Ombudsman Payouts Failings Services Children Parents
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