Council told to pay for boy's education
Mum claimed injustice over epileptic son.
Dorset education chiefs have been recommended to pay thousands of pounds in compensation for failing to provide an epileptic boy with special education.
His mother, who cannot be identified, had her complaint against the county council upheld following an investigation by a local government ombudsman.
He found there had been maladministration causing injustice for the council's failure to provide suitable education for her 15-year-old son for two years and for a delay in issuing a formal statement of the boy's needs.
"The complainant suffered frustration and anxiety and there was an adverse effect on her son's education," said the ombudsman, Jerry White.
He said the delay in the council's assessment process in 1991 led to no educational provision for the boy at the start of the 1994/95 school year.
Mr White recommended the council pay the woman a total of £1,000 for the frustration and anxiety caused and place in trust for the son "5,110, the equivalent of one year and two terms of additional provision.
He also recommended that the council should review its procedures.
In Mr White's report, he says the boy was sent to a local mainstream school in 1991 against his mother's better judgement where he received specialist help.
But he failed to make progress and a year later had to leave on the grounds he was medically unfit to attend school.
A different school was found for him but his place was withdrawn, according to the school because the council would not provide addtional support needed to cope with the boy's epilepsy.
No one at the county council's education department was available to comment on the report this morning.
The council must now consider what action it proposes to take in response to the ombudsman's recommendations.
by Nicky Findley
© 1996 Bournemouth Evening Echo
© 2001-2007 Epiweb.org