Newham Council has today welcomed the publication of a report by MPs criticising the government’s implementation and funding for Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) for young people.
The all-party House of Commons Education Committee says a significant shortfall in government funding remains a serious contributing factor in the failure of schools and local authorities to meet the needs of children and young people with SEND.
The report demands that Government departments stop passing the buck and work together to adequately fund SEND. It also criticises the Department for Education (DfE) for having a lack of focus on the quality of post-16 provision and calls for a Minister to lead a working group to develop supported internship, apprenticeship and employment opportunities. The report wants to see more joint working both nationally and locally and for Ofsted to ensure every school delivers for every child including those with SEND.
Councillor Julianne Marriott, cabinet member for education said: “Newham has recognised that we need to do more to help our children and young people with SEND and has invested an extra £1.3 million this year. However the Education Committee is absolutely right to highlight that the DfE has failed to provide funding where it has been desperately needed and to conclude the department has “set local authorities up to fail”. It’s a situation that has left many desperate families facing real crisis.
“It was also gratifying to read that the committee is questioning the Government’s free school programme and agrees with us that councils are best placed to build schools to meet their local population needs. At present councils are banned from building schools. I am writing to the government to implore that they act urgently on the findings of this report and not kick the issue into the long grass by commissioning a lengthy review.”
Today’s report comes at the end of an 18-month inquiry by the Education Committee, which heard from more than 70 witnesses, including from Newham Council and received over 700 pieces of written evidence.
Robert Halfon, Chair of the Committee said: “We need to end this major social injustice, one which affects children and their families, particularly those who are not as well equipped to navigate this bureaucratic maze.
“Of course, extra funding for SEND announced in the spending round is welcome but the truth is that more cash will fail to make a difference to children with special education needs unless there is a radical change of approach throughout the system.”
Mayor Rokhsana Fiaz has made Special Educational Needs and Disability a priority and the Council agreed an additional funding £1.3 million in this financial year to improve SEND services.
This additional funding was to address the backlog of Educational and Health Care Plans, provide additional staffing and improve our timely completion rates.
During 2019 Newham has issued over 400 Education, Health and Care Plans. This is more than all the plans issued in the previous three years combined. In the last year the council has also set up a SEND Information, Advice and Support Service, developed the new improved Local Offer website and improved systems and processes across SEND services.
Newham has also developed a multi stakeholder partnership including parents, CCG, schools and other key partners to provide oversight and prioritise further improvements.