Autistic boy left without support to help him communicate for a year by council
A boy with autism was left without specialist support to help him communicate for more than a year by a Yorkshire council.
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman criticised York Council for failings including ensuring the youngster’s teaching staff were properly trained in Makaton.
He uses the sign, symbol and speech system to communicate, as well as pointing to objects and gesturing.
His Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan stated it was necessary for every classroom staff member to be properly trained but for more than a year none, or at most one, had the qualifications required.
The Ombudsman said training was “patchy and slow”, with staff still learning Makaton while they were teaching the boy, who is non-verbal.
There was also criticism of the way the council handled the family’s complaint. The boy’s mother was repeatedly left chasing for updates – at one point even being asked by the council to confirm herself whether problems had been fixed.
Following their complaints, the council did pay for Makaton training and offered the family a substantial payout but the Ombudsman said it did not reflect the significance of what the family had been through and recommended a further payment.
Ombudsman chief executive Julie Odams said: “A legal duty to a disabled child is not something a council can work around.
“If an EHC Plan says a child needs Makaton to communicate, finding other ways to navigate the school day is not good enough.”
She recognised the council had taken steps to put matters right before the family approached the Ombudsman and it would now create a plan to reduce delays in Makaton training.
“Unfortunately, that doesn’t change the fact that for more than a year, a little boy who relies on Makaton to be understood was left without it.”
Martin Kelly, the council’s corporate director of children’s services, said it acknowledged the Ombudsman’s report which was “based on a unique set of circumstances almost three years ago”.
“Despite the challenges – in part due to insufficient funding – we have made considerable efforts since this time including making further investment in the local workforce.”