Parents and carers have raised ‘deep concerns’ over the Isle of Wight special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) reform plan, which has now been approved by government.
Whitehall has said the scheme provides a foundation for the Island to move into the delivery phase of measures aimed at improving outcomes for children and young people with SEND.
County Hall said that as a result of this, the Isle of Wight will receive an indicative High Needs Stability Grant allocation of £14,460,532 to help address historic SEND-related funding pressures and support improvements for children and families.
What the plan aims to do
The three-year plan sets out a vision for a more inclusive, preventative and needs-led SEND system, according to the council.
It aims to improve attendance, increase support within mainstream schools, reduce exclusions as well as ensuring children and families receive help earlier.
Parent network raises concerns
However, Isle of Wight SEN Support – a community of volunteer parents, carers and people with lived experience of disability – said the Isle of Wight SEND reform plan’s ambitions do not seem to match the workforce and resources available to deliver them.
A spokesperson for the network said,
“Isle of Wight SEN Support is deeply concerned about the Isle of Wight Council’s SEND reform plans.
“These concerns are not confined to parents or to the Isle of Wight; schools and professionals are also raising questions, and concerns about the direction of SEND reform are being debated nationally.
“Whilst any additional funding into the SEND system is welcome and desperately needed, it should never come at the cost of disabled children losing their rights, protections or entitlement to support.
“We are also concerned about claims of co-production with families. Meaningful co-production must reflect a broad and representative range of lived experiences, not simply the voices of those who are easiest to engage or already connected to existing forums.
“It seems that the plan’s ambitions don’t match the workforce and resources available to deliver them and we cannot reform SEND provision by reducing demand on paper when the underlying need remains.
“Children need the right support, from the right specialists, at the right time. Any reform must be judged against whether it improves outcomes and experiences for children and young people—not simply whether it reduces the number of education, health and care plans (EHCPs) or specialist placements being requested.”
Council: Focus now on delivery
Beth Dyer, the council’s service director for education, said the local authority welcomes Whitehall’s approval of the Island’s local SEND reform plan and the confidence it has shown in the direction of travel set out for the Isle of Wight.
She continued,
“The (government) assessment recognised many of the strengths within the plan, including our commitment to early support, mainstream inclusion, workforce development and investment in specialist provision.
“Approval of the plan is an important step, but the real focus now is delivery.”
Councillor Andrew Garratt, Liberal Democrat vice-chair of the children’s services, education and skills committee, said the plan’s approval is an “important milestone”. He added,
“We now need to ensure the commitments within the plan are translated into real improvements for children, young people and families.”
This article is from the BBC’s LDRS (Local Democracy Reporter Service) scheme, which News OnTheWight is taking part in. Some alterations and additions may have been made by OnTheWight. Ed
