Councillors in West Sussex have been asked to revisit an Ombudsman’s decision, after they considered the wrong version of a critical report at a council meeting.

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman issued an investigation report about the way the council handled a complaint about the education it provided to a girl who was out of school.

In that report, the Ombudsman made several recommendations to improve the council’s services. These included an apology to the girl’s mother, a financial remedy to recognise the lost educational opportunity, and a reminder to staff about their duty to provide alternative education.

Michael King, Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, said: