Mum’s plea to know why some children self-harmed while waiting for support

A MOTHER has demanded to know why some Lancashire children - including one of her own - were let down to such a degree that they began self-harming while waiting for support with special needs.

- BY PAUL FAULKNER

Cheryl Semple told a debate ahead of the Lancashire County Council elections next month that she had started advocating for parents and carers who had found themselves in a similar situation to her family when their youngsters "weren't getting the help that they needed in school and at home".

She said: "Some of these parents actually suffered breakdowns, because they were trying to get help for their children, but were being turned away and, in some ways treated with disdain [by] Lancashire County Council because funding was being withdrawn or withheld for months and years, sometimes.

"Why is it that you have treated some of the most vulnerable children in Lancashire that way?" Ms. Semple asked.

Responding for the authority's ruling Conservative group, County Cllr Scott Smith said there had been an explosion in demand nationwide for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) services and that the authority had invested an extra £5m this year to help to speed up the process of obtaining education, health and care plans (EHCPs) so children receive the support they require.