A WILLITON mother is to challenge Somerset Council over her claims that the authority’s bureaucracy has kept her son with mental health issues at home and deprived of education for over two years.

Suzanne Farthing has twice made an official complaint to unitary authority education officers claiming that her 18-year-old son Ty, who is autistic, has depression, OCD, anxiety, and suffered a brain trauma in 2016, has been blocked from taking a place at Aurora Foxes special needs college and training hotel which was offered two years ago.

Now she plans to take the case either to a tribunal or the Education Ombudsman.

“I keep being told that no decision about Ty’s future can be made until the council have amended his education, health and care plan and the council have done everything they can to delay that decision over the past two years for reasons which are a complete mystery,” Suzanne Farthing said.

“Their only reaction is to say that Ty’s case is not a priority. After my first complaint Somerset Council said they would issue a revised education, health and care plan by March 1 but that date has come and gone.

“Now I have been told that I should get a response to my second complaint by April 2, but it ‘might  be necessary to extend this timescale.’ In the meantime, Ty just wants to train for a job and live as normal a life as possible rather than just sit at home and wait for something to happen.

“He really wants to go to Foxes and they would cater for all his needs and help him get GCSEs. When he went there for a day, he absolutely loved it.”

Now Suzanne Farthing plans to take Ty’s case either to a tribunal or an ombudsman. “I want Somerset Council to arrange for Ty to start at Foxes in September.

“I will also be asking for compensation from a previous school for disability discrimination and funding to ensure that he maintains his therapy and to provide home-based education and training in the meantime.”

Ty was offered a place at Foxes for September last year. According to Suzanne Farthing: “September came round and there was no response from anyone at the council. When I put in a complaint it was suggested that Ty should go to Bridgwater College.

“I have appealed against this because neither Bridgwater nor Taunton colleges have the facilities to deal with someone with special needs who has been out of education for two years. There would also be no transport available to get Ty to either place.”

 A  Somerset Council spokesperson said: “While we do not comment on individual children, Somerset Council recognises there have been delays in the processing of annual reviews for some children.

“In working with education settings, we seek to ensure that children can remain within their current school, and when seeking a new setting we look to ensure that children can access education settings appropriate to their needs and aspirations.”