Local parent carers will welcome specialist SEND solicitor Michael Charles to the Island on Friday to talk about education, SEND Law and what the Isle of Wight ‘Safety Valve’ agreement means for Island families.
Tickets are sold out for the event, which has been self-funded by local families and will take place at Newport Congregational Church at 6pm on Friday 5th July.
Worked on some of most important UK SEN law cases
Michael Charles, a solicitor specialising in education, Senior Partner and now CEO at Sinclairs Law, has worked in a number of high-profile education law cases including the infamous “internet twins case”. He specialises in Education Law and Human Rights and has also worked on some of the most important UK SEN law cases.
What’s the Safety Valve scheme?
The Safety Valve scheme is a voluntary agreement between the IW Local Authority and the Department for Education which aims to bring the LA’s SEND deficit to zero.
The agreement has specific targets which promise to reduce the LA’s annual spending on SEND and in return, the DfE will contribute further funds to help clear the debt.
This is NOT extra money for education – it is money to clear the debt created by underfunding from national government.
SVA encourages IWC to act unlawfully
Parents are concerned about the agreement. A spokesperson from Isle of Wight SEN Support, a volunteer-led local group of parent/carers who are hosting the event, said:
“We are concerned the Safety Valve Agreement (SVA) holds our Local Authority to ransom and encourages them to act unlawfully as they try to limit support for local children based on financial targets agreed as part of the Safety Valve Scheme, rather than based on the needs of the child. For example, targets to reduce the number of EHCPs or move children from the specialist/bespoke settings they need into mainstream settings. Keeping children and young people in mainstream settings without EHCP’s is forecast to be the biggest financial saving by the IW LA.
“We do not feel these plans have been properly scrutinised or co-produced with local families who have not been properly represented in discussions, and these plans are shrouded in secrecy – despite several Freedom of Information requests the LA are withholding significant information. In other areas like Devon and Bristol, parents are legally challenging Safety Valve agreements.
“It is already incredibly difficult as parent-carers to navigate an incredibly complicated and hostile system to make sure our children are afforded their rights to an education so that they may thrive. We hear stories every day from Island parents at their wits’ end; the system is in crisis. We have valid concerns the Safety Valve scheme will exacerbate this. It does not make financial sense in the long-term to deny children the early support and interventions they need; it costs more further down the line.
“We’d like to stress this will impact all schools and all children, including mainstream schools and children without SEND, as children are forced into unsuitable settings without the correct support and teachers are expected to cope with more but have even less.
“We are excited to welcome Michael on Friday and to further connect with local families. Together, we will learn more about the Safety Valve agreement and SEND law so we can be empowered to ensure children’s needs are at the forefront of the LA’s decision-making processes, and to protect our children, classrooms and communities.”
More info
To join the waiting list for tickets, visit the EventBrite website.
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: Isle of Wight Sen Support
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News shared by Colleen on behalf of Isle of Wight Sen Support Ed
