Overview

• Two separate Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman rulings upheld complaints against Cambridgeshire County Council, which the council says it has accepted with apologies and payments made.
• In the first case, a Year Seven child stopped attending in November 2023 and received no alternative provision from mid‑December 2023 to July 2024, leading to a £4,700 remedy including £4,000 for lost education and £700 for distress.
• The Ombudsman said the council issued its decision not to provide an EHC Plan seven months late, which delayed the mother’s right to appeal by the same period; that appeal is under way.
• In the second case, the council failed to secure suitable full‑time education and EHC‑mandated provision as the child withdrew from school in 2023, prompting a £3,700 payment plus earlier reimbursement for tutoring and a £15,000 personal budget set in March 2024.
• The council cites unprecedented demand and workforce shortages, including educational psychologists, and says it is implementing SEND service improvements as the Ombudsman allows time for changes already committed.