Croydon Council Fails to Provide Specialist Support to Autistic Child

Introduction to the Issue

An autistic child was left without any education or specialist support for nine months after Croydon Council failed to provide the schooling required by law, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has found. This follows other recent concerns raised by Croydon parents about failures to deliver legally required Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP).

Croydon Council was supposed to arrange one-to-one support in every lesson at school as well as a range of other measures, but none were provided (stock photo)
(Image: GaryBurchell/Getty Images)

Background of the Case

The watchdog said the failings resulted in Y missing two and a half terms of education and caused significant distress to both Y and their mother, Mrs X. An Ombudsman report found that Mrs X and Y moved into Croydon in July 2024, from which point the council became legally responsible for delivering the support set out in Y’s EHCP.

EHCPs are legally binding documents that set out the support a child with special educational needs must receive from their local authority. Government data shows that 97,700 new EHCPs were issued nationally in 2024, up 15.8% on 2023, continuing a steady annual increase since the plans were introduced in 2014.

Council’s Failure to Provide Support

Despite this duty established in summer 2024, the council had still not secured a school place or provided any of the specialist support outlined in the plan by the start of the new school year in September that year. The child has a diagnosis of autism and faces emotional, social, and learning challenges.

Y’s plan guaranteed one-to-one support in every lesson and a highly structured daily routine, alongside visual supports, small group sessions and specialist emotional help. However, none of these essential measures were ever put in place.

The Ombudsman ordered Croydon Council to apologise and pay £3,900 to the family, and improve support systems for children with EHCPs
(Image: Harrison Galliven)

Consequences of the Council’s Failure

In October 2024 the council suggested home tuition instead of arranging a school placement, even though Mrs X had made clear that the home environment was unsuitable. The Ombudsman found that the council had asked its tuition provider to explore alternative venues and transport options, but no arrangements were ever finalised.

Investigators also highlighted serious failings in oversight and noted that even a fully organised tuition programme would not have met Y’s specialist needs. As a result, Y remained completely out of school, missing the education and support they were legally entitled to, which had a significant impact on their development.

Other Families Affected

Several families told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) last month that speech and language therapy for their children had been stopped without warning, leaving them uncertain whether their children’s rights were being upheld.

Several Croydon parents said they discovered their children’s speech and language therapy contracts had been terminated without any communication from the council. Families reported waiting weeks for information, with some describing the situation as “like banging our heads against a brick wall”.

Amy Jones says her son Harry (pictured) learned to speak through his dedicated speech and language therapy, and was horrified when it abruptly stopped
(Image: Amy Jones)

Council’s Response

A spokesperson for Croydon Council said: “We have accepted the Ombudsman’s findings in full and taken on board the recommendations. We have sincerely apologised to Mrs X and have paid the recommended compensation.

“We have reminded staff that if the council asks another organisation to arrange and deliver support in an EHCP, the council remains responsible and must maintain oversight. We have also reviewed how we manage special educational support for children who receive it outside of school.

“We have updated the Ombudsman on our actions, and the Ombudsman is satisfied this should prevent a similar situation happening in future. We are committed to providing high-quality education, opportunities and support for pupils with special educational needs.”

Conclusion

The failure of Croydon Council to provide specialist support to an autistic child has had significant consequences for the child and their family. The council’s failure to deliver the support required by law has resulted in the child missing out on education and support, causing significant distress to both the child and their mother.

The council has accepted the Ombudsman’s findings and has taken steps to prevent similar situations in the future. However, the case highlights the need for councils to prioritize the needs of children with special educational needs and to ensure that they receive the support they are entitled to.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is an EHCP?

A: An EHCP (Education, Health and Care Plan) is a legally binding document that sets out the support a child with special educational needs must receive from their local authority.

Q: What support was the child entitled to?

A: The child was entitled to one-to-one support in every lesson, a highly structured daily routine, visual supports, small group sessions, and specialist emotional help.

Q: What were the consequences of the council’s failure to provide support?

A: The child missed out on education and support, causing significant distress to both the child and their mother. The council was also ordered to pay £3,900 to the family and improve its support systems for children with EHCPs.

Q: What has the council done to prevent similar situations in the future?

A: The council has accepted the Ombudsman’s findings, apologized to the family, and paid the recommended compensation. The council has also reviewed its systems for managing special educational support for children who receive it outside of school.