Council says sorry for errors

Peterborough City Council would like to correct a number of errors of fact in your article of 2 June 2016 under the headline‘ Council pays £5000 compensation ’.

These errors were caused by us providing incomplete information to your reporter and have occasioned further distress to our original complainant, for which we would like to apologise.

At the time of the article, the complainant had not received the compensation payment, although this is in process.

The article refers briefly to the two complaints made. The first complaint made in June 2015 covered a large number of issues, all but one of which were upheld by an independent investigation commissioned by the council.

In response, the authority accepted a series of systemic failings in systems and processes that meant the complainant did not receive the service to which she was entitled and, in particular, a proper statement of education need and transfer of that to an education, health and care plan (EHCP).

The second complaint in April 2016 was occasioned by a continued failure of the authority to meet its statutory obligations to complete an agreed EHCP from the date of the original complaint in June 2015 until March 2016.

The agreed payments were in respect of compensation for the distress caused by both complaints and for the complainant’s time and trouble. Terry Reynolds Interim Service Director Education