"Let down, broken and disillusioned": Parents hit out at special educational needs and disability provision in Central Beds

The new Central Bedfordshire Council ruling group must “deliver” on special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), a meeting was warned.

Parents have repeatedly criticised the local offer from Central Bedfordshire Council and BLMK integrated care board (ICB) since a failed Ofsted and Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection in November 2019.

The latest ‘test the temperature survey’ from the special needs action panel (SNAP) parent carer forum concluded “parents don’t feel listened to and the service isn’t getting any better”, according to SEND parent Jo Armitt.

“The hardest part of the SEND journey is the constant need to fight for the basic things for your child to be successful at school or indeed life,” she told CBC’s children’s services overview and scrutiny committee.

“Some are unable to secure a school place,” she explained. “What’s the plan to deliver the change we desperately need?

“Why do a large amount of education, health and care plans (EHCPs) get altered after leaving the review meeting to be then drawn up as a draft by a SEND officer who wsn’t there?

“I’m starting the journey again and see no change from the first time, so far. Worryingly things seem worse. We’re let down, broken and disillusioned.

“The damage done to our children by lengthy waits, stalling tactics and unlawful obstacles put in our way is unbearable.

“Parents still have to go to tribunal for the support they’re entitled to, which damages families mentally, emotionally and financially.

“Enough is enough,” she added. “You’ve been voted in on the promise of change and now you need to deliver.”

A representative of Central Bedfordshire parents Lisa Therkildsen said: “Lived experience cannot be put into words. Stop the delay tactics. Stop side stepping questions. So in short, follow the law.

“We need tangible evidence. It’s intact parental mental health. It’s parents that can hold down employment and aren’t financially ruined.”

Independent Biggleswade West councillor Hayley Whitaker acknowledged: “We’ve a massive road to travel and a huge hill to climb. Every member of the team wants to make things better.

“Hopefully we’ll see some improvements by the next temperature check.”

CBC’s assistant director of SEND Helen Phelan replied: “We’ve a SEND strategy and an action plan. We work really closely with our education partners, schools and SNAP.

“There’s our accelerated progress plan in response to our revisit around a year ago. We’ve created more than 200 special school places during the last two years, but we know that’s not enough.

“Around draft of EHCPs, I’m concerned to hear that. Linda Orr assured me that’s not the case. I would welcome evidence to substantiate that claim.

“On refusal to assess, we’ve had a multi-disciplinary panel in place since 2022, so that’s the decision making about whether to assess for an EHCP.

“The numbers of requests agreed at panel are more than 80 per cent, which is higher than the national average. We’ve robust decision-making over EHCP decisions.

“We’ve an early intervention offer,” she added. “There are educational psychologists linked to school clusters and we’ve had compliments from schools appreciating that support.”