Councils need to review children’s special educational needs in the run-up to Key Stage transfers, even if they are staying at the same school, the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has said.

The reminder comes after the Ombudsman investigated a complaint from a Warwickshire parent that the county council had not carried out a review of their child’s Education, Health and Care Plan in their key-stage transfer year between primary and secondary school.

Warwickshire County Council had told the parent that because the child was not going to be moving school setting, it did not have to issue their new plan by the statutory deadline of 15 February.

The parent complained to the Ombudsman who found fault with the council’s stance.

Ms Amerdeep Somal, Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, said:

“The courts have made it clear that it is the phase transfer that triggers the duty to review EHC Plans by 15 February, and not a change in educational placement.

“The council could not have decided the child would not be moving schools until it had completed its annual review of their EHC Plan so it needed to complete the phase transfer to establish if they would stay.

“This incorrect approach to EHC Plan reviews is something we have seen being taken in council areas across the country. I would urge those doing this to check their processes to ensure they follow statutory timelines correctly.”

The report comes following the Ombudsman’s review of local government complaints which highlighted a continued increase in the number of complaints it was receiving about special educational needs provision. In its review the Ombudsman said it was now upholding 94% of complaints investigated about special educational needs services.

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 parent and pay them £300 for the frustration and distress caused by the delay in issuing the EHC Plan.

The Ombudsman has the power to make recommendations to improve processes for the wider public. In this case the council has agreed to issue guidance to staff advising that councils must review EHC Plans in line with statutory guidelines when a child is changing a phase of education.

Die neue Landesvorsitzende der Gewerkschaft der Polizei (GdP) Rheinland-Pfalz, Aline Raber, beim Antrittsbesuch bei Barbara Schleicher-Rothmund, der Beauftragten für die Landespolizei.

In vista della mobilitazione nazionale del 30 luglio 2025 promossa dalla Conferenza dei garanti territoriali delle persone private della libertà personale, il Garante regionale dei diritti della persona, avv. Mario Caramel con il suo staff, si recherà presso la Casa Circondariale di Treviso e presso l’Istituto Penale Minorile (istituti penitenziari tra i più affollati del Veneto).

Fardelli: “Un dialogo tra Difensori civici per rafforzare i diritti dei cittadini e promuovere la cultura della tutela a livello internazionale”

Si è svolta presso il Consiglio Regionale del Lazio la visita ufficiale della Provedora de Justiça della Repubblica dell’Angola, accompagnata da una delegazione istituzionale. A fare gli onori di casa il Difensore Civico della Regione Lazio, Marino Fardelli, nella sua veste anche di Presidente del Coordinamento Nazionale dei Difensori Civici delle Regioni e delle Province Autonome italiane.

L’incontro, che si è tenuto nella Sala Mechelli, ha visto la partecipazione del Presidente del Consiglio Regionale del Lazio, Antonello Aurigemma, di autorità regionali e di altri garanti istituzionali, ed è stato un’importante occasione di confronto e scambio di esperienze sui rispettivi modelli di tutela dei diritti, sul ruolo delle autorità indipendenti e sul contributo dei Difensori Civici nella costruzione di una governance più giusta, inclusiva e attenta alle esigenze delle persone.

“È un onore ospitare nella nostra Regione una figura istituzionale di tale rilievo – ha dichiarato Marino Fardelli –. Il dialogo con i colleghi internazionali è essenziale per rafforzare la cultura dei diritti umani e valorizzare il ruolo della difesa civica nei sistemi democratici, contribuendo a rendere le istituzioni più vicine ai cittadini.”

Alla riunione, che si è proseguita nella Sala Di Carlo, hanno partecipato: Monica Sansoni, Garante per l’Infanzia e l’Adolescenza della Regione Lazio; Stefano Anastasia, Garante delle Persone Private della Libertà della Regione Lazio; Silvia D’Oro, Consigliera di Parità della Regione Lazio.

Nel corso dell’incontro sono stati affrontati temi di interesse comune quali la cooperazione internazionale, la tutela dei diritti delle persone private della libertà personale, le garanzie sociali, l’accesso ai servizi pubblici e il ruolo dei Difensori Civici nel promuovere trasparenza amministrativa, legalità e protezione dei diritti delle persone più fragili.

La visita si inserisce in un più ampio percorso di relazioni istituzionali tra l’Italia e i Paesi dell’Africa, volto allo scambio di buone pratiche tra organismi di tutela e alla promozione di sistemi di garanzia indipendenti.

La delegazione angolana ha espresso profonda gratitudine per l’accoglienza ricevuta, sottolineando l’interesse a sviluppare future collaborazioni tra le rispettive istituzioni, con l’obiettivo di consolidare una rete internazionale di Difensori Civici al servizio dei cittadini.

Allegations of ill-treatment and abuse against migrants and refugees at EU borders continue. Even though more incidents are now raised with judicial authorities, there have been no structural changes to improve the effectiveness of national investigations, finds the latest update from the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA). The findings underline the need to ensure more effective investigations of rights violations at borders.

Read the update

In July 2024, FRA issued guidance on how to make such investigations more effective. It proposed concrete steps such as robust monitoring and stronger accountability.

FRA’s latest update on investigations of alleged ill-treatment at EU borders  points to at least 135 criminal investigations in 12 EU countries between 2020 and 2024, with charges pressed in Greece and Italy following the two shipwrecks in Pylos and Cutro 2023. 

Despite persistent allegations of excessive use of force, ill-treatment and other rights violations at the EU borders, accountability remains limited. Since 2020, there have been only four convictions related to such cases across the EU – three in Hungary and one in Spain. While at least 131 disciplinary investigations have been initiated, only 13 have resulted in sanctions. Notably, only five new sanctions have been recorded since FRA’s previous data collection. This underscores a continued gap between reported abuses and tangible consequences. 

The update also looks at investigations by the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex). Frontex is reviewing more complaints and serious incidents of fundamental rights violations in their operations. This has led to Frontex issuing recommendations for preventive and protective measures in their operations. 

In addition, the update reflects developments from the European Court of Human Rights. In the last four years, its judgments point to ineffective national investigations into migrants’ rights violations at the borders. Some 30 cases were still pending before the Court, as of 1 July 2025.

FRA’s update covers the state of play of investigations of alleged ill-treatment at the EU borders until the end of 2024.