A recently published Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman report has criticised the actions of Cornwall Council that led to a boy with special educational needs, who had been excluded from his primary school because of behavioural problems, missing out on full-time education for 12 months. The ombudsman found this was because the relevant teams in the council did not communicate adequately with one another, and too high a threshold was used for deciding whether or not to assess the boy for an education, health and care (EHC) plan.
An EHC plan assessment had been requested by the boy's family, a social worker, an autism needs adviser, and an educational psychologist, but the council's education panel decided there was insufficient evidence that the boy met the threshold. It was only after a year, and two further requests for assessment, that one took place. The final EHC plan established that a significant amount of help was needed to allow the boy to receive an education and manage his emotions and behaviour.
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