The council had not done enough to make sure the child received education while out of school

Hampshire County Council has agreed to pay £1,200 to a family after a child missed a term of education following a move to the county, a watchdog has found.

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman found the council failed to properly consider providing alternative education while the child waited for a school place.

The child moved to Hampshire in August 2024 with an existing education, health and care (EHC) plan, which sets out the special educational support they should receive.

The Ombudsman said the council had contacted schools and looked at tuition options, but had not done enough to make sure the child received education while out of school. It also found some of the support included in the child’s plan was not provided during this time.

The watchdog said the failings resulted in “lost educational provision” for one term and caused uncertainty for the family.

Councils must arrange suitable education for children who are unable to attend school in certain circumstances, including when a child is waiting for a suitable school place.

The Ombudsman told the county council to improve how it handles cases involving children with special educational needs moving into the county, including ensuring decisions are properly recorded and support set out in EHC plans is delivered.

A Hampshire County Council spokesperson said: “We always try to do our best to get things right first time for our children and young people, and we take all complaints very seriously.

“Where we haven’t been able to resolve things directly with the person concerned, we work closely with the Local Government Ombudsman to address the issue, to learn from our mistakes and improve our services along the way.

“In this case, we have accepted in full the recommendations of the Ombudsman, and taken the required actions, including issuing a formal apology to the parent and making a payment of compensation.

“The provision of suitable arrangements to meet the needs of all children, including those with special educational needs and disabilities, remains a core priority, despite the challenging national landscape.

“We are sorry that we did not meet those expected outcomes in this instance.”