A council has been fined nearly £6,000 after a child with special educational needs (SEN) was out of school for almost a whole school year.

An investigation by the Local Government Ombudsman found that Bracknell Forest Council delayed securing the girl the right education setting to suit her needs.

The mother, referred to as Miss X, applied for an Education, Health and Care Plan for her daughter in July 2020, but was told by the council it wouldn’t issue one in October.

This is a document which SEN parents can apply for which outlines their child’s needs and sets out a route for alternative provision.

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Miss X appealed this decision in 2021, when the council was told by the school her daughter was at was no longer attending school.

The girl had not been attending since March 2020, during which schools were teaching children from home due to the pandemic.

The council then decided to issue a plan after all, and the assessment was complete in June 2021 – concluding her needs would be served at a specialist resource unit in a mainstream school.

This would be provided with one-to-one mentoring, occupational therapy sessions and weekly social skills interventions.

A school with specialist resources was consulted but ultimately the council declined the placement.

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As the council reviewed the child’s EHCP in 2022, it agreed to find alternative placement options for her and in the meantime, offer online learning. This was declined by Miss X, who said she wanted her child to go to the placement offered in the first place.

In March, Miss X told the council she would be home educating her daughter.

Two months later an updated EHCP was issued at the girl was placed in the original school offered.

During this time the girl had missed almost a whole school year.

Bracknell Forest Council agreed to pay the family £5,750 for the loss of education and apologise.

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The ombudsman further ordered the council to review how it considers and records whether it should intervene when it is aware a child has been out of school.

This comes as the latest watchdog fine ordered from the local authority, after an investigation by the News revealed a high number of complaints from parents which has resulted in more than £20,000 being paid out in two years.

Nearly 150 parents have written to the council saying they are ‘deeply dissatisfied’ with the council’s handling of SEN provision.

Bracknell Forest Council has assured parents it is committed to improving services in the borough.