Hounslow Council Took Three Years to Deliver Child's Care Plan
Watchdog orders borough to pay compensation for resulting distress
The council was unable to find suitable speech therapists for the child. Picture: AI Generated
March 13, 2026
Hounslow Council has been called out by the local government watchdog for its failure to issue an updated Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP) to a child for three years when the legal timeframe is eight weeks.
The child’s parents complained in November 2024 to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman about the failure to issue an amended EHCP. It wasn’t until August 2025 that the child was given the plan.
The child, named as Y in the report, had an EHCP which started in January 2022 which included a provision for occupational therapy and speech and language therapy. At the time, they attended a mainstream school.
However, after starting secondary school in September 2022, the child stopped going to school and withdrew entirely in January 2023. As a result, the council carried out an emergency EHCP review the same month, but failed to issue an amended plan.
The council did issue an Education Otherwise Than At School (EOTAS) plan, throughout 2023, however failed to provide speech and language therapy or occupational therapy as the school had been “unable” to find suitable therapists. An amended plan was sent in December 2023, but it was not finalised.
In her complaint, the child’s mother, referred to as Ms X, noted a lack of information on personal budgets (provided by the council for social care support), and poor communication from the council SEND team. Hounslow Council finally issued an amended EHCP in August 2025 – 20 months after the child withdrew from mainstream education.
The ombudsman found five faults on the council’s part, most notably the significant delay in providing an updated EHCP. Councils have a legal duty to issue an amended plan within eight weeks of sending a draft.
This delay meant that the mother could not appeal to a SEND tribunal for almost three years. The watchdog also found fault in the failure to secure two forms of therapy which the child was entitled to, causing them to miss out on four terms of therapeutic provision.
The council also failed in providing additional support, having poor communication and safeguarding. The ombudsman found that the council had failed to adequately safeguard the child on a council loaned laptop, and told the mother that it was her responsibility to monitor the child’s use of the device.
The council must now pay a total of £2,400 to the family for its failures and distress caused. This includes a payment of £1,600 to acknowledge the impact of the child missing four terms of therapeutic provisions.
A Hounslow Council spokesperson said: “We acknowledge the decision of the ombudsman and will apply their recommendations in full.”
Philip James Lynch - Local Democracy Reporter
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