Council took “too long” to put in place speech and language therapy for teenager with special educational needs, Ombudsman finds

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has criticised Somerset Council for taking too long to put in place speech and language therapy for a teenager with special educational needs, following an earlier complaint.

According to the report, the council had agreed to provide the therapy set out in the girl’s Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan after her mother complained to the Ombudsman in 2023.

The girl needed speech and language therapy because her condition means she has difficulty processing verbal information, is likely to misinterpret what is said to her and is not able to express her views fully, which leads to her being unable to communicate effectively – the Ombudsman noted.

The council had agreed to make ongoing payments of £50 per week while the therapy was not provided. Further, it agreed that if it could not provide the therapy within six months, it would carry out a “fundamental review” of why it had failed to do so, and share an action plan with the girl’s mother.

However, the council did not make the agreed payments to the mother until August 2024, and it did not review the situation nor share an action plan, said the Ombudsman.

Its new investigation found the girl’s mother had suggested a therapist that her daughter had previously worked with. However, the council took so long to contact the provider that they “no longer had any capacity to work with her”.

The Ombudsman said: “The council did not take any action to ensure therapy was provided for the teenager until the beginning of July 2024, by which time she had finished college and was about to start university. Some therapy was eventually provided for the teenager over the summer holidays until she moved to university.”

According to the report, a clinical psychologist’s report found the lack of provision has had a “detrimental effect” on the teenager’s mental health.

To remedy the injustice caused, the Ombudsman recommended Somerset to write to the mother and daughter to apologise, and to pay the mother £750 for the “additional distress” of having to complain for a second time to the Ombudsman.

Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, Amerdeep Somal said: “This is a sad example of what can happen when councils fail to grasp the nettle and act swiftly on the recommendations we make. It is particularly disappointing to have to report on this case, where the council has willingly agreed to our improvements but has simply not taken any proactive action to put them in place.

“Councils tell us therapists are difficult to source for young people who need their services, and we know there is a national shortage. But in this case the teenager had a therapist they were confident with, and one who initially had capacity to help her. The council took so long to act their spaces were filled, and the teenager missed out on therapy for a whole academic year.

“I hope my report spurs the council to take a hard look at the services it provides for children and young people, and also the seriousness with which it takes the fair and achievable recommendations I make to improve its services.”

Somerset Council has been approached for comment.

Lottie Winson