Council bosses have been rapped after a disabled child was left without a sign language support worker - crucial for them to communicate - for more than a year.

A watchdog criticised Norfolk County Council for its failure to find a new sign language worker for the child after their previous one left.

The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman said that had affected the ability of the child, referred to as X in the its report into the matter, to communicate with teachers and friends - and had cut them off from school life.

Under X's education, health and care plan -  which acknowledges special educational needs and disabilities and lays out support they will get - they were meant to have a one-to-one British Sign Language support worker.

But, after their worker left in July 2022, from September 2022 to December 2023, they did not have one, after X's school and the county council were unsuccessful in recruiting a replacement.

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The child told the ombudsman, which investigated their complaint, that sign language was "their voice".

X said they didn't chat at playtime because their friends, who had been learning from the signing support worker before they left, did not know enough sign language.

The council had said the lack of a signing support worker had not "had an undue impact on X’s access to education or academic progress".

But the ombudsman found the council had been at fault and had caused X "a great deal of distress and uncertainty".

They said it had "affected X’s communication with their teachers and peers and had a significant impact on their ability to access school life, including the development of social skills, for more than one whole school year."

The ombudsman told the council to apologise and to pay £2,200 to X's carer, on X's behalf, in recognition of the injustice.

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Eastern Daily Press: Norfolk County Council was found to be at fault by the Local Government and Social Care OmbudsmanNorfolk County Council was found to be at fault by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (Image: Mike Page)

A Norfolk County Council spokesman said it took the finding seriously and would use the report to make improvements.

They said: "The council is sorry regarding the case. We have sent a letter of apology to the parent and the remedy payment has been made.

"We are committed to doing all we can to provide the best service possible for children and young people and their families."