Family to receive 拢17,500 after social care failings

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, A Brighter Futures for Children spokesperson said it 鈥渇ully accepts鈥 the LGO鈥檚 report

A family will receive more than 拢17,500 in compensation after a child missed out on a year鈥檚 worth of special needs support.

A mother, referred to as Ms Y, complained to the local government watchdog after problems with the way her child got appropriate support.

The Local Government Ombudsman (LGO) concluded the child, referred to as Child Z, missed out on all special needs provision over the entirety of 2020/21.

Brighter Futures for Children, the not-for-profit company that runs children's social care for Reading Borough Council, agreed to apologise to Ms Y and Child Z and pay the compensation.

The LGO said the family should receive 拢13,997.20 for missed social care support, 拢3,100 to recognise missed special needs provision throughout 2020/21, and another 拢500 to reflect the mother鈥檚 distress. That is a total of 拢17,597.20.

A spokesperson for Brighter Futures for Children said it 鈥渇ully accepts鈥 the LGO鈥檚 findings.

鈥淲e have made two separate apologies to Ms Y and have also apologised to Child Z, in a child-appropriate way," they said.

鈥淎ll payments the Ombudsman has asked us to make to Ms Y will be made and we commit to working with her to make all recommended changes to Child Z's Education Health and Care plan and social care support."

鈥淲e also commit to making service improvements to prevent similar situations from arising in the future.鈥

Follow 91热爆 South on , , or . Send your story ideas to south.newsonline@bbc.co.uk or via .