Disabled Greenock boy left without education for two years

Greenock boy Ben O’Donnell, nine, was hospitalised three times during his time at the school which educates pupils with additional support needs.

His mum Lucy Mahon told how she felt forced in the end to pull him out for his own safety and has criticised Inverclyde Council chiefs for ‘turning their backs’ on her son.

Lucy says they have ignored Ben for a year, refusing to support home schooling or find him a place in another educational facility outwith the area.

She told the Tele she had no choice but to finally take drastic action after an investigation was carried out and the school was cleared of any wrongdoing — despite the council paying out thousands of pounds in compensation after one of her son’s falls.

Mum-of-two Lucy recalled how on one occasion she turned up to find her son, only five at the time, lying barely conscious on a bean bag.

He then had five seizures on the way to hospital in his parents’ car and had to be resuscitated by doctors.

Lucy, 27, from Wren Road, said: “If I had let my child suffer injuries like that I would have been charged over it.

“He needs one-to-one care. His balance is very poor but he has never had injuries like that in the house, as I am always vigilant.

“There is no way I would send him back to a school in Inverclyde.

“I wouldn’t let someone babysit my children that I didn’t trust, so why would I send them to someone five days a week for six hours a day where things like this have happened?

“They have accepted no blame for what has happened to Ben but are instead blaming a child with special needs.”

Ben was born on November 6 2008 with hydrocephalus — fluid within the brain — and has had two major operations.

As a result, he has epilepsy, vision disturbance similar to tunnel vision, severe developmental delay, reduced mobility, poor balance, speech delay, sparks and a deformed skull.

Lucy added: “He did not take his first steps until he was three, his speech did not come on until he was seven and he still needs a buggy because his mobility is so poor.”

The family’s problems started when Ben enrolled at Craigmarloch School in December 2013.

Within weeks he had been taken to hospital with a seizure and spent a night in Yorkhill as a result of a fall. He repeatedly came home with bruises, grazes and injuries which were explained away as falls.

Lucy said: “At first I accepted it because he was clumsy.”

Then on May 9 2014 he came home with his front teeth wrapped in a napkin after a school visit to the park.

Five months later Lucy and Ben’s dad Paul experienced their third major cause for concern.

Lucy, who had not long given birth to her second son Max, was phoned by the school to say that Ben needed to be collected following a bad bump to his head.

She said: “When I arrived I found him barely conscious on a bean bag and not responding to my voice.

“When Ben rolled round I saw a lump on his head so large the skin had ripped open.”

The family decided to take him to Yorkhill themselves and on the way to the hospital he had multiple seizures and on arrival at A&E he collapsed.

Doctors battled to save his life and stabilise him after he stopped breathing.

Lucy added: “I was told later by Ben’s dad that the school didn’t even call ahead to say we were coming.”

The final straw came on March 2015 when Ben, by now nearly six, had to have stitches after a fall in the soft play area in the school.

He was taken to the hospital on the school bus and with a Craigmarloch escort by his side. Ben then suffered a seizure in the waiting room before his parents arrived.

Distraught Lucy said: “They never even phoned an ambulance at the school.

“When we arrived he was unconscious. The doctors took off the bandage and there was a very large slice of his forehead which you could peel back. He has been left with a permanent scar.”

Lucy added: “His dad went to see the head teacher. They were very unwelcoming

“The head teacher said, ‘What do you expect us to do? We can’t hold his hand’.

“We expected them to look after a child with special needs no matter what it takes.”

Ben’s parents refused to send him back to Craigmarloch.
Inverclyde Council paid his parents more than £4,500 compensation for that accident on March 2015, but refused to accept liability.

The youngster was moved to All Saints communications unit and an investigation by Inverclyde Council then took place into his care at Craigmarloch.

But yet again his parents felt utterly let down. 

Lucy said: “We were told that there was no wrongdoing in the way they cared for Ben.”

Instead, recommendations were put in place for a safety gate to be put in soft play and serious injuries to be dealt with by an ambulance.

Lucy and Paul took the decision to remove him from school altogether in November 2015.

Despite asking for help to home school their son, it took months for a visit to take place.

The education department then sent Lucy a letter saying that she was not capable of providing a home education for Ben because she had a toddler as well and said that he should be placed in an Inverclyde school.

But Lucy has refused and demanded that they find Ben a place outwith the area.

She said: “I have not heard from Inverclyde Council since we sent them a request for a second home visit in December last year.”

Ben has been left ever since with no school place and no support to be educated at home.

Lucy added: “I don’t trust them with his care and, as a result, Ben has just been ignored. It’s like he doesn’t matter.

“I don’t know what way to turn. He is getting no education, no social interaction and no chance to make friends.”
Lucy has now made a formal complaint and has been urged by health professionals to take action.

The Tele contacted Inverclyde Council to put all the concerns to them.

A council spokesman said: “While there is an active complaint investigation underway it would be wholly inappropriate for the council to discuss openly any issues in any level of detail. Our correspondence on this will be direct to the parents.”