Councillor Clare Welsby is the group leader of Ealing Green Party. She sets out her views on a recent Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman finding Ealing Council at fault over not providing therapy support for a child with SEND.
“It is very concerning that a parent in Ealing had to resort to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman to resolve a complaint against Ealing Council to ensure their child with special educational needs received the therapy support set out in their Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan for almost two years. As a result of this their child had struggled at school without the essential support that had been agreed and that they were entitled to.
“It is welcome that the watchdog and subsequently Ealing Council recognised this and the council have apologised. The council have acknowledged that significant speech and language therapy and occupational therapy provision between June 2024 and February 2026 was not provided, and that the council delayed issuing an amended EHC Plan following an annual review in June 2025, which is a statutory requirement.
“However, we have to ask how this happened, why were these vital services that enable a child to participate in their education not provided. Was this due to lack of staff, resources or another reason. This needs to be understood. It should not be the case that a parent has to go to the lengths this parent has undoubtably had to, to ensure their child’s educational needs are met. This inevitably adversarial route is not helpful, it causes anxiety and a breakdown in trust, which is essential for working together with parents to support children in their education, for this and other families. Particularly when a child has additional needs.
“The cost of this process has to be considered. Money may have been a contributing factor to the lack of provision in the first place; any additional expense related to this challenge only adds to the problem and to the financial constraints on the council as a whole.
“It is unclear whether the services required are now in place and the review process functions as it should. This must be a priority for this and other families so that children with special educational needs and their families can focus on the many challenges many already face navigating services to support their children, without the Council adding to them. Particularly when they understood a service had been agreed.
“As a recently elected councillor on Ealing Council , with a background working in services for children, including children and young people with additional needs, I will look into these questions and work hard to ensure that in the future, agreed services are provided and where there are difficulties the priority is to try and resolve these in partnership with parents.”
