'There are no quick fixes for SEND system crisis'

PERSONALLY SPEAKING

- Charlotte Atkins - Leek Labour Councillor, Cabinet Member for Services at Staffordshire Moorlands District Council.

The present Labour government inherited a Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) schools system which is on its knees.

It is immensely expensive while failing to provide adequately for many special needs children.

Parents spend months, even years, fighting for support.

But, even after securing a legally binding Educational Health and Care Plan (EHCP) for their child, that support is by no means guaranteed.

The Conservative government reforms created obligations on local authorities in 2014 to provide SEND support but did not adequately fund them.

The result has been financial chaos with the overall overspend on SEND predicted to reach £6.6billion by next March and keep rising.

At the same time, the current provision for SEND is so patchy that it is a lottery for parents trying to secure support for their child.

In last month's Budget, the Labour government did the right thing by taking away responsibility for funding from councils and handing it to the Department for Education. Not to have done so would have risked the bankruptcy of nearly 60 upper-tier councils with educational responsibilities by 2028.