At last night’s first meeting on the new Isle of Wight council Cabinet, members were asked to consider the recent report from the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGSCO) in relation to the case highlighted by News OnTheWight yesterday.
Cllr Debbie Andre, the new Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, Education and Skills, presented the paper, confirming the matter had been fully discussed with the Director of Service, Steve Crocker, and is “confident that all recommendations that the LGSCO have been actioned, including the relevant training of staff within the timescales stipulated”.
She assured members that she would be “keeping an eye on these issues”.
Crocker: It is an aberration and we are very sorry for that
Steve Crocker confirmed,
“We have put in place all of the actions. This relates to a really complex finding at a tribunal and the LGO has ruled that we’ve erred. I think it’s really important that we accept that, learn from it, and put those things in place with no point in quibbling. We’ve put in place that additional training.
“Members can be assured that we did have an Ofsted inspection of our Special Educational Needs Service very recently. In fact it was the last full Ofsted report that they produced before Lockdown last year, and that was very positive about our Special Educational Needs Service.
“It is an aberration and we are very sorry for that, but it’s important we accept the findings.”
Bacon: Approached by two residents raising concerns not dissimilar to this
Cllr Jonathan Bacon, Cabinet Member for Environment, Heritage and Waste Management, said he’d seen the News OnTheWight report about this matter.
He paraphased a quote from the father of the boy who had been failed by the IWC, saying,
“No-one goes through the Ombudsman just for an individual case, but they hope it will bring about change, that’s why they put the hours of work in and for a case to be taken down this route and get to this stage is where it’s maybe the tip of the iceberg.
“I’m hoping it’s not that bad, but I do have concerns because in the short time I’ve been a councillor again, I’ve been approached by two residents in my ward raising concerns not dissimilar to this.”
He finished by saying,
“I do have a concern there may have been some problems in recent years. I’m very pleased to note what the Cabinet member has said and I trust her to pick that up and deal with anything that is found.
“I just think we need to be careful that we ensure we look at things and ensure that all is as it should be, and hopefully the examination she and I will do, will reassure us, but if we do find things, we must deal with them.”
All members voted in favour of all the recommendations, as stated in the report on pages 40 and 43.
