North Northamptonshire Council apologises and will pay compensation after delay with assessment into the care for girl with autism, anxiety and depression

A council took more than twice the time it should have to complete an assessment into the care a girl with autism, anxiety and depression should have received, a report found.

North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) should have sent a plan within 20 weeks after it was requested by her mother in July 2021 but an ombudsman found it only arrived 42 weeks later.

NNC told the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGO) that the ‘considerable delay’ was due to ‘significant’ staff shortages.

It has apologised to the girl and her mother.

On the LGO’s recommendation, it will pay the girl £1,200 and her mother £200.

A child with special needs might have an education, health and care plan (EHCP), which outlines the child’s needs and what arrangements should be made to meet them.

The LGO said without the delays to her EHCP arriving from NNC, the girl could have started a placement at a school she attended from September 2022 in January 2022 instead.

A NNC spokesman said: “We accept the findings of the report and apologise to the family for any distress caused.

"We will be carrying out the agreed actions as outlined by the ombudsman and have put measures in place to strengthen our processes regarding dealing with EHCPs and communicating with those concerned.”