WARRINGTON North MP Charlotte Nichols and the Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Children’s Services, Sarah Hall, have written to the Education Secretary ahead of the publication of the Special Educational Needs and Disability (SEND) Review, calling for a better deal for SEND children.
They praise the work of Warrington Parents and Carers group (Warrpac), who amplify the local voice for these families and call for their concerns to be heard.
Their letter sets out that the Covid-19 pandemic has added to the existing challenges for SEND provision, which has been especially stretched since 2014 when the Government required support to be offered up to the age of 25 without providing extra funding.
They warn the Education Secretary that the SEND review should not be rolled into wider schools issues but should receive its own focus and that any recommendations arising from this review must be underpinned with new money. SEND funding should seek to level up services rather than penalise high-performing authorities that face the same financial and practice challenges as elsewhere.
Other demands include that local authorities should be trusted to build and run their own special schools as they have a detailed grasp of the needs of their area and can better address supply with demand. They also call for reforms that increase mainstream inclusion.
Ms Nichols said: “Children only get one chance at their education, and for those with SEND it is particularly important that they make as much progress and achieve the best outcomes possible if they are to be enabled to participate in life to the fullest of their ability.”
Cllr. Hall added: “Even before Covid, increased demand for high-cost specialist placements, the block on local authorities being able to build schools, shortages of SEN teachers, educational psychologists, occupational therapists, and specialist mental health provision – along with an overall increase in demand, acuity and insufficient funding – were creating the perfect storm. This must be addressed now.”
