COUNCIL bosses have been ordered to pay £3,000 to a vulnerable boy’s family after a damning report found it failed to provide him with an education for 10 months.

The Local Government Ombudsman has published its findings after a complaint was made about the lack of education for the boy, who has special educational needs, and has a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism.

In a damning report, the ombudsman said the council had ‘not shown any consideration of the boy’s individual circumstances’ and caused him to miss almost year of schooling.

Bury Council has since admitted ‘a number of failures’, apologised unreservedly and paid compensation to the family in full.

The ombudsman said the complaint was the council produced a draft education, health and care plan for a mother which failed to meet her son’s needs.

The complainant, referred to in the report as Miss X, also complained that the council delayed producing the final plan, which prevented her from appealing to a tribunal.

Miss X said the the council’s actions forced her son to to absent from school from last September, placed a financial burden on the family due to her needing to take time off work and caused mental stress and anxiety.

The ombudsman found fault with the council for delays in production the education plan and the failure to provide alternative education.

The council agreed to pay Miss X £2,700 for her son’s missed education, £300 for the delays, distress and frustration caused, finish her son’s education plan and provide suitable education to him.

The report says prior to the boy starting the school year in September 2020 all parties said he needed one-to-one support for both education and safety for himself and others.

The ombudsman report adds: “The boy's paediatrician wrote to the council in June 2020 to advise he was not attending school and to provide further details for his plan.

“The council issued his draft plan and asked Miss X for her comments.

“Miss X provided comments saying the council failed to quantify or specify provision within the draft plan, that his school cannot meet his needs and cannot put suitable provision in place.

“The information provided showed he needed one-to-one support not just for education, but for safety of himself and others and the council failed to provide this in the plan.

“He needed help with personal hygiene, eating and drinking, regulating body temperature and communication which the plan failed to consider.”

The report added thatMiss X withdrew the boy from school on September 2, 2020 because of concerns over his safety due to the lack of suitable one to one support.

He has not returned to school since.

The council later confirmed the boy’s absence was authorised.

The ombudsman said: “To the date of this draft decision, the council has not completed the boy’s plan.

“This means the council has delayed for just under 45 weeks over the 20-week deadline in completing the plan. This is fault.

“The council’s fault caused Miss X frustration and distress by having to chase the council on repeated occasions.

“Miss X has also consistently asked the council to consider a particular special educational needs school as a placement with the view to starting at this school in September 2020.

“The council has decided not to require the boy to attend school but has provided no suitable alternative education.

“The council has also not shown any consideration of the boy’s individual circumstances. This is fault.

“This fault has directly caused him to miss any form of education since September 2, 2020.”

In a statement issued this week, a spokesman for Bury Council said: “We fully accept there were a number of failures in our assessment process, for which we apologise unreservedly.

“The council is fully committed to working with parents and our partners to transform Bury’s SEND provision and ensure that children and their families have a much improved service, with their needs identified and met earlier.

“We have implemented the ombudsman’s recommendations, including making the compensation payments outlined, and have sent the families a formal letter of apology.”