Investigation into Bucks brothers’ missing therapy uncovered 400 children potentially affected by change of council contract

Date of article: 05/03/2026

Daily News of: 06/03/2026

Country:  United Kingdom - England

Author:

Article language: en

Buckinghamshire brothers with special educational needs were left without the speech and language therapy they were legally entitled to for more than a year - because Buckinghamshire Council failed to make sure it was in place.

During an investigation by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman into the case, the Ombudsman found up to 400 other children were also potentially affected by delays.

In the siblings’ cases, one brother missed more than half the speech and language therapy, and almost all of the occupational therapy, which his Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan entitled him to between September 2023 and December 2024.

His brother also went without his speech and language therapy, and the council repeatedly delayed updating his plan, meaning his mother had no legal right to challenge the level of support he was getting.

The Ombudsman found the problems were partly due to the council's therapy provider ending its contract with a sub-contractor in early 2024 - potentially affecting nearly 400 children across Buckinghamshire.

The Ombudsman’s investigation found the council failed to properly consider the impact of withdrawing the contract, had no back-up plan, and failed to step in to ensure those children still got the help they were owed quickly enough.

Mrs Amerdeep Clarke, Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, said:

"These are not simply cases of two children falling between the cracks of an overstretched service. Instead the council made wholescale changes to the way it provided support without ensuring it could meet the needs of these children and many others.

“Buckinghamshire Council did not do enough when it identified clear warning signs that the therapy hundreds of children and young people needed could not be delivered at the agreed level.

“Every child with an EHC Plan has a legal entitlement to the support set out in it. This case highlights what can go wrong when councils do not exercise sufficient oversight of the services they commission.

“When a provider struggles to meet demand, it is the council's responsibility to step in - not to wait and hope the situation improves.

“I welcome Buckinghamshire Council's agreement to make the service improvements I have recommended, and I hope this report serves as a reminder to councils across the country of their duties to children with SEND.”

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman remedies injustice and shares learning from investigations to help improve public, and adult social care, services. In this case the council has agreed to apologise to the boys’ mother and pay a symbolic £1,000 to recognise what has gone wrong.

The Ombudsman has the power to make recommendations to improve processes for the wider public. In this case the council has agreed to create a plan to show how it will address any shortfall in the needs of children and young people with EHC Plans whose needs are not currently being met through the therapy service.

It will also develop a protocol for cases where the therapy service cannot deliver provision in line with a child’s EHC plan.

 

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Tackling Housing and Tenant Concerns

Date of article: 23/02/2026

Daily News of: 26/02/2026

Country:  United Kingdom - Wales

Author:

Article language: en

A word from the Ombudsman

Everyone deserves to live in a warm, welcoming home. Yet too often, tenants in social housing face issues with disrepair, damp and mould, or anti-social behaviour – issues that can escalate when landlords do not act promptly or communicate clearly. What should be a safe haven instead becomes a source of ongoing stress and harm.

In this special edition of our newsletter, we highlight the housing complaints we have intervened in from urgent repairs and damp and mould to failures in complaints handling. The cases we share show not only the impact on individual tenants, but also the wider learning needed across the sector.

Over the past few months, we have also been engaging with tenants and providers through our own initiative consultation, and we were pleased to meet many at the TPAS Cymru Conference in November. We will continue to use what we learn from this work to shape our future work and drive improvements in social housing.

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We Propose Investigations into Social Housing Disrepair, Damp and Mould

Date of article: 19/02/2026

Daily News of: 20/02/2026

Country:  United Kingdom - Wales

Author:

Article language: en

We announce today the decision to progress proposals for two Own Initiative investigations into how social housing providers respond to reports of disrepair, with a particular focus on damp and mould affecting vulnerable tenants.

The decision follows a public consultation launched in November 2025. Responses were received from tenants, Local Authorities, Registered Social Landlords, Welsh Government, and third sector advice and advocacy organisations. After considering the evidence, we concluded the statutory criteria for using Own Initiative powers are met and has proposed two investigations under the Public Services Ombudsman (Wales) Act 2019.

Our casework and recent investigations have identified delays and inconsistent responses to reports of disrepair, damp and mould, often involving vulnerable tenants. In 2024–25, just over 19% of new complaints received related to social housing, many concerning disrepair, damp and mould. We have also published a thematic report, Living in Disrepair, and issued public interest investigation reports in late 2025 highlighting similar concerns.

Evidence from the consultation indicates vulnerable tenants may be disproportionately affected, including disabled people, older people, families with children, those on low incomes and people from diverse ethnic backgrounds. Respondents described the serious impact that unresolved disrepair, damp and mould can have on health, wellbeing and independence, and agreed that progressing these investigations would be in the public interest.

"Our casework, investigations and the consultation responses show that unresolved disrepair, damp and mould can cause serious harm, especially for vulnerable tenants. While the sector is changing, including the updated Welsh Housing Quality Standard coming into force in April 2026, the evidence suggests problems persist. These proposed investigations will identify learning and support improvement, transparency and accountability."

Michelle Morris, Public Services Ombudsman for Wales

We will write to the two Housing Associations identified, outline the proposed investigations and invite their comments in line with statutory requirements. We will continue to review whether further Own Initiative investigations are warranted.

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Ombudsman warns councils are 'losing control' of planning enforcement as complaints increasingly reveal years-long delays

Date of article: 17/02/2026

Daily News of: 20/02/2026

Country:  United Kingdom - England

Author:

Article language: en

Unlawful developments are being left permanently in place across England because under-resourced councils are running out of time to act, a new report from the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman reveals today.

‘Losing control: complaints about planning enforcement’, highlights how significant delay by councils is increasing and, in some cases, statutory time limits have passed before councils could act, leaving communities with no legal remedy and developments that breach planning rules standing indefinitely.

Planning enforcement investigations have become a much greater proportion of the Ombudsman's planning work, last year making up nearly half (47%) of all upheld planning and development cases (up from 26% in 2021-22).

The report provides many learning points for councils based on common issues the Ombudsman finds, including:

  • Cases where enforcement action has drifted for years without resolution
  • Poor communication between planning departments and legal teams causing missed deadlines
  • Inadequate processes to manage staff turnover, leading to repeated work and lost evidence
  • Councils losing the power to protect Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and enforce planning conditions

The report echoes findings from a Royal Town Planning Institute survey, which found 80% of planning enforcement officers said there were not enough staff to carry out the workload, 89% reported case backlogs, and 73% said their authority had struggled to recruit.

Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, Mrs Amerdeep Clarke, said:

"If people lose faith that planning rules will be enforced, they stop raising concerns. We risk a two-tier system: those who follow the law play by the rules, while those who flout them face no real consequences.

"We recognise and welcome Government plans to improve the planning system and boost the nation's economy through increased development. But development without enforcement is a recipe for planning chaos. Without proper resourcing, public trust in the entire system will collapse.

"We also appreciate the immense pressure planning teams are under, and it's encouraging to see so many welcome our findings as evidence to support investment in their services. The case studies we've highlighted show that, with the right resources, teams can make significant improvements that benefit both staff and the communities they serve."

Simon Creer, Director of Communications and External Relations at the Royal Town Planning Institute, said: 

“Enforcement officers are the backbone of the planning system. But as this report shows, years of under-resourcing and challenges in recruitment have led to staff shortages and overwhelming workloads. RTPI research from 2022 into planning enforcement resourcing raised the alarm - unfortunately, this report suggests that there has been little improvement and that, as a result, in some places services are ‘struggling or already broken’.

“If we want to build at scale and meet the government’s ambitious housing targets, we’ll need to make sure there are sufficient enforcement officers in place to ensure the planning system can effectively support delivery and uphold policy standards.”

The report includes questions for councillors and heads of service to help scrutinise their local planning enforcement services and highlights constructive responses from authorities that have committed to recruiting additional staff and improving procedures.

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North Tyneside child left without alternative education for more than a year because of council failures - Ombudsman

Date of article: 12/02/2026

Daily News of: 17/02/2026

Country:  United Kingdom - England

Author:

Article language: en

North Tyneside Council has agreed to pay £5,900 to a family after the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman found it failed to provide promised specialist technology that would have allowed a child with special educational needs to learn from home - the second time the Ombudsman has ruled against the council for the same child.

The child has not attended school since September 2022 due to their special educational needs. Following an earlier Ombudsman investigation in August 2023, the council agreed to purchase specialist technology that would enable the child to interact with their class while learning from home.

The council said IT security restrictions and compatibility issues meant the technology could not be provided, but it then failed to arrange any alternative education for 13 months, leaving the child without suitable provision during a crucial GCSE year.

The council also did not attempt to put any other arrangements in place for the child’s education until September 2024. And even then, it relied on the school to make a referral to an alternative provider, chasing the school nine times rather than arranging provision directly.

Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, Mrs Amerdeep Clarke, said:

"This child was promised technology that should have kept them connected to their classroom and their peers at a crucial time in their education. Instead, they received nothing for more than a year. This can only have had a significant and detrimental impact on the child’s education and wellbeing.

“North Tyneside Council allowed this case to drift without any meaningful progress, and I am concerned there appeared to have been no oversight or urgency to ensure this young person received the education they were entitled to, especially given the council’s previous agreement.

“I now hope the change it has committed to make to its management of alternative provision does in fact take place and will ensure greater oversight in future of services for children who cannot attend school.”

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman remedies injustice and shares learning from investigations to help improve public, and adult social care, services. In this case the council has agreed to apologise to the family and pay them £5,900 in recognition of the impact on the child’s education.

The Ombudsman has the power to make recommendations to improve processes for the wider public. In this case the council has agreed to review its processes to ensure it maintains oversight where it relies on schools to arrange alternative provision and takes timely action when a school does not arrange the provision or the planned provision cannot take place.

Article date: 12 February 2026

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Link to the Ombudsman Daily News archives from 2002 to 20 October 2011