Derbyshire families back call for SEND changes amid national crisis
Around 60 parents, carers and children from across the county met for a campaign picnic in Hall Leys Park, as other SEND groups met in towns and cities up and down the country.
Organiser Nikola Matulewicz-Evans, who has given up her job and withdrawn her two children from school over issues arising from a lack of support, said: “It was brilliant for raising awareness and giving parents a chance to network and support each other.
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Hide Ad“We had a few school governors and a teacher come to talk to us, and people who wanted to talk about their children’s experience.”
She added: “Fighting to get support can be extremely unpleasant and frightening, and children are suffering. Here everyone felt safe and understood.”
The national campaign delivered a petition of 12,000 signatures to the Prime Minister, calling for increased spending on SEND and protection for that money in school budgets.
By some estimates, the funding gap for high-needs SEND was at least £287million last year and is projected to reach £1.6billion in the next two years.
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Hide AdNikola said: “There is already money there for SEND but it is not being used properly because it isn’t ringfenced. Schools are underfunded and maybe they need a new roof or something. These children are not always a priority.
“Some schools are in denial. They want to top the league tables and do well at Ofsted inspections, and that’s not really SEND-friendly. It’s too competitive.”
She added: ”There is a real lack of transparency in the system too.”
Half of all local area SEND services have been found to be failing, and appeals to the Special Educational Needs & Disability Tribunal have increased by 80 per cent in recent years.
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Hide AdComplaints to the Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman about SEND have risen by 150 per cent since 2015, and 87 per cent of those have been upheld.
Nikola said added: “We are calling for an increase in funding to match needs; for it to be ringfenced; for improved monitoring and accountability to improve outcomes for every child; and for a single process which all local authorities must follow.
“This movement was started by three women last year. Now we have a network of parents all over the UK and we are forming a plan of action. We are going to continue this campaign.”
Derbyshire County Council’s head of children’s services, Jane Parfrement, has offered to meet with the group to discuss their concerns.