After many years campaigning for the Government and Council to address delays in Special Education Needs and/or Disabilities (SEND) diagnosis and support, John has welcomed £21million of Government cash to bring local backlogs up-to-date and provide a more stable and efficient service through a ‘Safety Valve’ Agreement with North Somerset Council.
John has been telling the Council and Ministers that far too many parents have been coming to surgeries to share stories about the struggles they’ve had getting support, or even a diagnosis, for their child.
The Key areas of focus within the agreement that should help to solve these problems include: earlier identification of need and ensuring consistency of assessment, increasing SEND capacity in our local schools; improving strategies to support students with emotional or mental health issues, more efficient and familiar models of support; less reliance on out of area placements; ensuring Health and Care Plans are reviewed more often; and developing Emerging Needs plans for those under 5-year-olds to help ensure very young children get the best start in life.
John said: “Every parent wants the best for their child and I’ve witnessed first-hand the stress long-delays accessing support services can cause both parents and children. Rather than being a sticking plaster, this money is aimed at reforming our local SEND services and making them more efficient over the long-term, so our children can more quickly get the help they need (and deserve!).”