Report of Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman

Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council Report of Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has issued a report following its investigation of a complaint about Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council. The complaint was about Education & Children’s Services. The Ombudsman found that there had been fault on the part of the Council, and this had caused injustice to the complainant. Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council has agreed to take action which the Ombudsman regards as providing a satisfactory remedy for the complaint. The Council must now consider the report and tell the Ombudsman within three months (or such longer period as the Ombudsman may agree) what it proposes to do. Copies of the report will be available for public inspection during normal office hours at Level 1 Reception, Tameside One, Market Place, Ashton under Lyne, OL6 6BH for three weeks starting on 10 March 2025. Anyone is entitled to take copies of the report or extracts from it. Copies will be supplied free of charge.

A Tameside Council Spokesperson said: “We sincerely apologise to families affected by the delays in the annual review and the issuance of final Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs). We understand the significant impact these delays have on families and the challenges they present.

In Tameside, we have an unprecedented number of EHCPs, 3678, which is percentage-wise double the national average. This has placed a considerable strain on our resources. However, we have a clear action plan to improve this situation and address the significant backlog of EHCP reviews we must process. While we have already made progress, we acknowledge that this is a complex matter with a considerable journey ahead of us and accept the recommendations made in the report.

As a council, we have a clear vision for prioritising Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). We are committed to addressing shortcomings, not just by making improvements but by stabilising the system and driving it forward to ensure we meet the current and future needs of children and young people in Tameside with SEND through services co-produced alongside CYP and their families.

Furthermore, our SEND sufficiency review provides a clear roadmap for improving the quality, accessibility, and sufficiency of local SEND provision. We have made significant inroads, such as the new Hawthorns School opening and several SEND resource bases planned within all key stages of our mainstream schools for September. The SEND team and wider council services are working diligently to improve outcomes for our children and families in Tameside.

Link to Report Here