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24
Feb
MP dismisses £4bn reform of SEND provision as a 'slap in the face' for families
Government plans for a “generational” overhaul of the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system has been branded a “slap in the face” for parents and children by Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Tom Gordon.
Many local authorities, including North Yorkshire Council, are struggling to cope with growing numbers of people needing to access services.
According to the Department for Education, the number of children aged 4-10 in England with education, health and care plans (EHCP) has increased by 72 per cent since 2019-20.
An EHCP is a legal document which describes someone’s special educational needs, the support they need, and the outcomes they would like to achieve.
In North Yorkshire, the figure has increased by more than 110 per cent over the last decade, and more than 6,400 pupils now have an EHCP.
As a result, SEND provision accounts for ever larger proportions of local authority budgets. According to research released by the TaxPayers’ Alliance, almost half (47 per cent) of council spending is now being committed to adult social care and children’s services – up from 30 per cent in 2015-16.
White Paper
The reforms announced yesterday (February 23) are outlined in the White Paper, Every child achieving and thriving, which gives details of a £4 billion investment in the sector.
This includes a new Inclusive Mainstream Fund of £1.6 billion over three years, and a new Experts at Hand service, investing £1.8 billion over three years to create a bank of specialists, including SEND teachers and speech and language therapists, in every local area which schools can access, regardless of whether children have an EHCP.
Responding to the White Paper, Mr Gordon said reform was long overdue, but ministers must go further to revive the system.
He said:
The outlined proposals are outrageous and a slap in the face to parents and children with SEND. Families who have fought for years to secure basic support for their children deserve clarity and reassurance, not uncertainty about whether hard-won rights will be stripped away.
Reform of our broken special educational needs and disabilities system is long overdue. But the devil will be in the detail.
Any changes must be properly resourced with the people and funding required, and trust must be rebuilt with parents who are fearful of losing the support their children rely on.
I have listened to so many families fighting a losing battle just to secure the most basic provision. This is too important to get wrong. We cannot ask parents to put their faith in another round of reform unless it is backed by real money, real capacity, and real accountability.
Mr Gordon will hold an event for parents and carers of SEND children and SEND practitioners in March to discuss any feedback or concerns on the White Paper.
The MP for Skipton and Ripon, Sir Julian Smith, was not quite as outspoken in his assessment of the government's announcement. He welcomed the investment, but – like Mr Gordon – said the government needed to go further, by putting staff training on a statutory footing and ensuring autism is at the centre of reforms.
During a ministerial statement on Every Child Achieving and Thriving, he said:
Children with SEND, particularly those with autism, need teachers and staff who are fully equipped with the knowledge and understanding to support them.
Training must be consistent, comprehensive and embedded across the system. I will continue to press for clarity and accountability to ensure no child is left behind.
Rise in autism
The main driver of the increase in demand for SEND services is autism. In England, 3 per cent of children aged 4-10 are now classed at autistic, up from 1.8 per cent in 2019-20.
The figure in North Yorkshire is 3.09% – in line with the national average.
But rates vary geographically. In Islington, for example, as many as 9 per cent of children – one in every 11 – are deemed autistic, and in Calderdale there has been a 309 per cent increase since 2019-20.
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