[senco-forum] Complaints to the Ombudsman

Thank God, no.  Maybe I should say 'not yet'.  You have my sympathy as I know how stressful these situations can be.
  I have had one parent who complained to the LA that we had not worked correctly with her child.  This was a child who had been at the equivalent of School Action throughout school. The parent's complaint was that the student couldn't cope with the sixth form course  chosen (doing a higher course when the application for was for intermediate which was the right level for progressions), couldn't read and write (got a D for English) and was doing homework in lessons (only in the last three months of history when the student wasn't entered for the GCSE with parental consent).  We were also accused of not informing the 16+ placement about special needs but we had - and it was on the original application form.  Then the complaint was that we had not given the appropriate access arrangements.  The unfortunate thing is that this pupil would qualify for access arrangements now but not five years ago.
  You are right - the message is to keep all paperwork.  My understanding is that I have to keep all SEN related paperwork until the pupil is 25.
  Amanda
  Secondary SENCO
  Cornwall

cudham <gjlce at btinternet.com> wrote:
  Earlier this year after five successful years of working with a statemented student, inexplicably his mother reported me, my school and the Education authority to the local Ombudsman for failing to address his Special Needs. I was totally amazed as I had always had a good working relationship with her and was rather proud of what we had achieved with the student. Anyway the Ombudsman threw out the complaint and was very complimentary about the support the student had received.
I have since found out from other parents that this is becoming the latest craze. If you complain to the Ombudsman and win you can get compensation, however if you lose you are not penalised and life goes on. From my point of view I spent half the Easter holidays getting the paperwork in chronological order, my professional reputation was on the line (I'm sure the local press would have got hold of the story if we had lost) and my relationship with this parent is now ever so slightly strained! 
I have no problem about being accountable for what I do in school but I can't understand why there isn't some sort of filter system that throws out the more ludicrous claims (as this one was) and saves all concerned time, Tax payers money and not least a lot of stress.Has anybody else encountered this?

Cudham

Amanda
Secondary SENCO
Cornwall