Special Needs Education: A Mother’s Struggle
The Harrow mum claimed he wasn’t getting the core education he was supposed to have as outlined in his EHCP
Grant Williams Local democracy reporter
07:15, 22 Nov 2025
Miss C claims she had to give up work to tutor her son, who has special needs (stock photo)
(Image: Getty Images)
Introduction to the Issue
A North London mum said she had to give up work to tutor her son, who has special needs, as he was not getting a proper education in line with his education, health, and care plan (EHCP), according to an Ombudsman report.
The mum – referred to in the report as Miss C – complained that Harrow Council didn’t carry out an annual review of her son’s EHCP on time and the local authority did not ensure that he was receiving an education in line with the plan.
Miss C claimed that her son – referred to in the report as B – was only receiving the therapy set out in the plan but “no meaningful core education”, meaning he had only basic literacy skills, according to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO).
The Son’s Education and Development
B has learning and development difficulties, which requires him to have an EHCP plan (stock photo)
(Image: Getty Images)
B has learning and development difficulties and is subject to an EHCP, which underwent an annual review in July 2023. Following this, Miss C complained to the council that she was not satisfied with the education he was receiving at his provider. The local authority acknowledged this and advised that it would hold another review in September.
Investigation and Findings
The LGSCO investigation found that, as the council ultimately decided to issue an amended EHCP, it should have done so within 12 weeks of the review – giving a deadline of December 2023. However, when Miss C complained to the Ombudsman in January 2025 it remained outstanding, meaning the council “never actually completed the September 2023 review”.
Given the length of time involved, the Ombudsman considered this failure as representing “a significant injustice” to Miss C. However, considering the limited engagement B was having with his provider at the time, the Ombudsman was unable “to point to any precise substantive impact this had” so considered any injustice that may have arisen because of this as “uncertain”.
Mother’s Efforts and Council’s Role
Whilst Miss C said she had to give up work to provide B with tuition and supervision that she felt he was not getting, the LGO report states that it is not the Ombudsman’s role to determine “the suitability of educational provision”. Rather, its role is to assess whether the council was at fault for any of its decision making.
The report went on to add: “This is not to disregard Miss C’s comment that she was tutoring B herself, to make up for what she saw as gaps in the education he was receiving from [the provider]. However, the council does not supervise education on a day-to-day basis, and neither the council – nor, for that matter, the Ombudsman – can consider complaints about educational providers.
“The council’s role here was to satisfy itself, in the general sense, that the package the provider had arranged was adequate for B.”
Handling of Complaint and Conclusion
The LGSCO did find additional fault with the council regarding how it handled Miss C’s complaint. She was still not satisfied with the council’s response after stage 2 and, in October 2024, wanted to escalate it further – which should have meant she was advised to contact the Ombudsman.
Following the investigation, the LGSCO determined that the council should apologise and offer to pay Miss C £500 “to reflect the uncertainty and frustration” caused by its faults in the case. Harrow Council was approached for comment but did not respond ahead of publication.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the case highlights the importance of ensuring that children with special needs receive the education they are entitled to, as outlined in their EHCP. The council’s failure to complete the annual review and issue an amended EHCP in a timely manner resulted in significant injustice to Miss C and her son, B. The Ombudsman’s findings emphasize the need for councils to prioritize the needs of children with special needs and ensure that their education is properly planned and delivered.
