Somerset Council has been criticised for failing to act on an ombudsman’s recommendations to meet a young person’s needs.
The teenager’s mother complained to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman in 2023 because Somerset had failed to organise the speech and language therapy set out in the young person’s education, health and care plan.
The council told the Ombudsman it would make £50 weekly payments until the therapy was in place and carry out a review if there was still no provision after six months.
But the payments were not made until August 2024 and no review took place.
A fresh investigation by the Ombudsman has revealed that although the girl’s mother suggested an appropriate speech therapist, the council took so long to contract the provider that there was no capacity left.
Delays meant that the teenager only received speech therapy in the summer before she moved to university, and her mental health suffered because of the lack of provision.
Ombudsman Amerdeep Somal said it was ‘disappointing’ to report that Somerset had ‘simply not taken any proactive action’ to implement earlier recommendations.
She added: ‘I hope my report spurs the council to take a hard look at the services it provides for children and young people, and also the seriousness with which it takes the fair and achievable recommendations I make to improve its services.’
A Somerset spokesperson said: 'We have accepted the Ombudsman’s recommendations and sincerely apologise to Ms K and her family for any distress caused.'
