BCP Council has been told it needs to do better when it comes to overseeing nursery fees when they are providing the Government’s free places scheme.

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has advised the council to apologise to a father who filed a complaint after being disproportionately charged for his child’s nursery care.

In his complaint, the father reported that despite being eligible for the Free Early Education Entitlement (FEEE) scheme, the nursery was wrongly charging him for ‘general extras’ he hadn’t opted in for.

The Ombudsman found that the council did not respond to the complaint appropriately and held the local authority responsible for failing to investigate the nursery’s pricing policy.

Ms Amerdeep Somal, Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, said: ‘When councils are made aware of problems, they must act in a timely manner to ensure that local nursery providers are following the law.’

'We recognise the pressures councils and nurseries face in ensuring sustainable access to free early-years entitlement.

However, the law is clear that free entitlement is just that; parents should not face mandatory charges as a condition to access the scheme’, she added.

The council has been instructed to repay the undue fees the father was charged, as well as £200 for the inconvenience caused.

The Ombudsman has also requested that the council contact other local childcare services offering the FEEE scheme and reinforce that their pricing frameworks must be equally ‘clear and transparent.’

A council spokesperson said it will be making a direct apology to the resident.