A mother had to pay for her child’s education out of her own pocket for three months because the council’s “miscommunication” with itself meant it didn’t pay out.

Bracknell Forest Council has been fined after leaving the boy – who is autistic, dyslexic and has attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) – without money for his education for around a full term in 2022.

A government watchdog said the council had caused his mother “frustration and distress”.

The mother, known in the watchdog’s report as Mrs X, was supposed to receive funding from the council every term for her son’s education, which is outside of school due to his needs.

Yet by October 18 – weeks after her son, named as H, had begun Year 9 – she had still not received payment. After complaining, Mrs X was told by a manager from the council that the payment would be made.

A month later – some two months after term started – the money still hadn’t turned up.

It was only after escalating her complaint twice that Mrs X was told the delay was due to “miscommunication” between the council’s special education needs team and its finance department.

She eventually got her money in December – some three months after school had begun that year.

An investigation by the local government and social care ombudsman ruled that the council should also pay Mrs X a symbolic payment of £150 to recognise the frustration and distress it had caused her.

The council admitted that – although Mrs X had been able to pay for H’s education while the funding was delayed – many other parents wouldn’t have been able to cope in that situation.

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The ombudsman also said the council should pay Mrs X a further £150 for another delay, this time for updating H’s education package.

Children with special educational needs are often assessed for an education health and care plan. This spells out the council’s legal duties to meet the child’s needs. It is supposed to be reviewed once a year – and parents told of the outcome within four weeks.

But despite having his review in September 2022, H had still not heard the outcome by March 2023.

The council told the ombudsman that it was working on improving its special educational needs services, and had brought in a “permanent and more stable team.” It also says it has introduced a handbook to help staff improve communication.

Bracknell Forest Council’s special educational needs services were found to have “significant areas of weakness” by the Ofsted inspectorate in March last year.

In September this year the council said that it was making good progress on an improvement plan agreed with the government.