Telford & Wrekin Council accepts fault after therapist sickness meant child lost three months of speech therapy

A council has accepted an ombudsman’s ruling that it was at fault after failing to provide three months’ worth of speech and language therapy (SALT) for a child.

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The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman told Telford & Wrekin Council to pay Mrs X £250 for ‘distress and uncertainty caused’ by her son, Y, not receiving provision set out in his Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan.

A therapist had gone off work on long term sickness absence and despite trying the council did not secure an alternative.

It had found a “lack of capacity within independent SALT providers to take on new cases.”

Councils have a duty to children to arrange provision which the courts have ruled is non-delegable.

The ombudsman confirmed that this means if a council asks another organisation to make the provision and that organisation fails to do so, the council remains liable.

The council says it has now taken steps to “strengthen processes and improve service delivery.

A council spokesperson said: “Following an investigation by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman, we accept the findings of the report.

“We have implemented the ombudsman’s recommendations and taken steps to strengthen our processes and improve service delivery.”

The ombudsman found that Y had no SALT provision from October 2025 to January 2026.

“Mrs X has been clear in her communication with the council about the impact the missed sessions have had on Y. This has also caused Mrs X significant distress,” the ombudsman said.

“While there is evidence of the council trying to source an alternative provider from November 2025 onwards, it remains that Y did not receive the provision.

“This was fault in the form of service failure and meant Y has gone three months without the provision they require.”

The ombudsman found that the council had told Mrs X that unforeseen long-term medical leave of the therapist was outside of its control. It had said this did not mean there was an ongoing failure to deliver the provision.

Mrs X complained to the ombudsman after going through the council’s two stage complaints process.

She told the ombudsman that the therapist’s view on the impact of the missed sessions following a return to work was ‘irrelevant’ because the council had a legal duty to provide SALT to Y.

Mrs X also complained that the council’s communication had been poor. But the ombudsman found no fault by the council for that aspect.